Crudelis Ferreus
by Elani
Summary: Powerful and beautiful, they should have ruled the world. But events took a completely different turn. Destiny turned its back on them and let hatred rule. A Draco Pansy story.
1. Introductions

Disclaimer – Everything you recognise, belongs not to me, but the talented JK.  Anything else is more than likely mine.

_Authors Note – Another Pansy Draco story, our favourite couple.  This is going to get quite dark and our three favourite main characters are going to be shown in quite a different light._

_Crudelis Ferreus_

_Chapter One – Introductions_

"Cruciatus," I scream.  The three wizards blocking my way crumpled to the floor, writhing in agony.  I smile and step lightly over them, heels clicking on the marble floor.

_"Parkinson," _a raspy voice whispers in my head, _"I said not to draw attention to yourself."_

I roll my eyes and turn on my heel, pointing my wand at the men, "Ripagus" I mutter.  Their screams of pain fell silent.  Turning once again I resume my quick pace down the shadowy corridor.

_"Interesting.  Very interesting that you chose to rip out their voice boxes rather than just use a simple silencing charm,"_ there was a hint of amusement in his tone, _"But Parkinson, never roll your eyes at me again."_

If anyone else had rolled their eyes at the Dark Lord they would have probably been forced to eat them by now but me, no, I'm special.  The Dark Lord needs me.  Pansy Parkinson, his most accomplished, devious and beautiful spy.  Well spy and thief.  I haven't survived six years in Slytherin house without picking up certain skills, although my power, status and certain connections offer a certain amount of protection.  In Slytherin house no one is safe, not even the Slytherins.

I brush away a stray dark hair as I crouch down outside a door.

"Locking charm…too easy…triple strength-who put that on?  A magical barrier…powerful but nothing I can't handle," I mutter.  Pulling out my wand again I tap the door handle.  It clicks and the door slowly slides open.

"Oh too easy," I laugh, "They underestimate me."

Pushing the door open further I crawl inside the dark room.

"Lumos," shouted what sounded like a thousand voices.  Light filled the room.  Startled for a moment I stare round wildly.  Then I regain my composure.  The Order, Dumbledore and Potter at its head.  I sighed resignedly as I climb to my feet.

"Foiled again, it is just to hard to beat you guys"

"Shut it Parkinson," Granger spat.

I look over to the mudblood.  Bushy and toothy as always, flanked on either side by Potter and Weasel as Draco refers to him.  Personally I'd just call him downtrodden.

"Sorry about the parents Granger, my hand slipped," I retort.

She dived towards me, rage shining in her eyes.  Ron grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back.

"Aw Weasley, is this the only time you can cop a feel?"

Ron went crimson and pulled out his wand with one hand, the other still gripping Hermione by her robe.  He pointed it directly at my heart.

"Give me one reason," he said in a low, dangerous voice.  I stare him down, a malicious smile implanted on my lips.  Oh how his sister squealed.  He dropped his gaze.

Harry stepped forwards.  "Pansy if you come quietly we will spare you,"

Oh Potter.  He always liked to do things nicely; he didn't like the blatant shows of emotion his two best friends went in for.

"Sorry Potter," I reply, readying my wand "No can do" and raising it over my head I scream the words, "Estric Torlasus"

A blinding purple light blasted outwards from my body and filled the room, knocking them all to the ground.  For minutes they crawled round blindly, banging into each other as they searched for me.  They had no chance.

"She's gone again," Harry said in a defeated voice as the light cleared.

"Harry, Harry," Hermione called urgently from where her head was stuck into a hole in the wall.  A metal door lay twisted and blackened on the floor.  He rushed across to her and she looked up into his eyes, 

"She took it Harry, she took it,"

"You have pleased me yet again Parkinson.  I shall have to find you a suitable reward"

"Your praise is reward enough, Master" I reply.  Technically it wasn't, but hey it was the traditional answer.

"You forget Pansy," I look up in shock.  Not once has he ever addressed me by my first name, not even when I was initiated, "I can see into your mind.  I have big plans for you, my pet.  Plans to make our connection stronger, closer."

He stood up and began to move toward me.  My stomach tightened, I knew what was coming.  So it was time.  I had heard all the stories, everything that had ever happened down the years in The Dark Lords own personal initiation of his women.  I was scared, terrified and he could feel it.  It only made him smile more.

Suddenly his cold hand shot out and cupped my chin, pulling it roughly upward so I was looking directly into those deadly slits.

"I have been waiting for this moment for quite some time now Pansy," he said, "This has been something I have been looking forward to for such a long time.  I haven't had someone so young in years."  His hand reached out and caressed my bare leg with its cold touch.  It was all I could do not to shudder.

"But, but Master I'm-" I choked out.

"Not yet betrothed, my pet," his face inched closer to mine-

"Master"

He swung round, dropping his hold of my chin.  I fell to the floor, shaking, and slowly began to edge backward.

Draco lowered his eyes in a gesture of apology.  As if a Malfloy ever felt apologetic, absurd.

"I beg your forgiveness Master, I, I did not realise-"

"I know you did not realise Malfloy, what is so important that you must come barging into my private quarters at such an inconvenient time?"

"Inconvenient?"  I thought.  That was the best possible time for Draco to ever have come barging into a room.

"Er," he looked past The Dark Lord to me, his eyes searching.  The Dark Lord noticed this however.

"Parkinson is not of your concern Malfloy, now what is it you want?  I have important business to attend to,"

I gulped and my gaze shot to Draco.  My eyes pleaded with him, don't leave me here.  The look I saw on his face however when he heard our Masters words nearly made me jump up and dance, if I did that kind of thing.  He looked so, well protective and alarmed and even angry?  If I weren't scared for my virginity and possibly my sanity I would have danced around the room.  Draco cared?

His eyes lingered for one more moment before he turned his gaze on The Dark Lord.  His steel eyes visibly hardened as he spoke to him in clipped, short tones,

"There has been a development.  Father wishes you to come immediately,"

I could have sworn that if they moved that way, Master's eyes had rolled.

"Very well," he said turning back to me.  "We shall continue this at another time, _Pansy."_

He whispered the last word directly into my ear, so Draco wouldn't hear.  But it gave me the opportunity to look at Draco.  He took a jerky step forward as The Dark Lord bent toward me, and when his lips brushed my ear his arm jerked automatically toward his wand.

"Come, Malfloy," Master said as he swept from the room.  With one last lingering look Draco left.

I sighed and collapsed fully onto the floor.  The marble was cool against my body.  My eyes closed as I tried to quell the feeling of dread inside me.  It wasn't over yet.

_"Pansy" _I jumped as his voice rasped through my head, through my skull, _"Don't fear it.  It has only just begun."_

"Goodbye Mother," I say, graciously kissing her cheek.

"Father," he kisses the top of my head, the annual leaving for Hogwarts family tradition.  Now don't get me wrong, my parents do love me, they just have a different way of showing it.  You can't become respected in Dark Arts Circles by being loving and kind now can you?

Mother.  Well her way of showing me love is to pamper and preen me.  Buying me the latest in make-up lines from "WitchFace" a designer beauty shop which stocks only the most expensive potions and mixtures, always making sure I have the newest perfecting and beatifying charms and always making sure I have the most fashionable and expensive robes.

I didn't say it was a bad life now did I?

Fathers job is to pay for all this and to make sure I have all the studying materials I need.  Now I don't mean those boring, childish books they set at Hogwarts.  Those are kids play for someone like me.  These are truly useful spells.  Useful for a thief and spy anyway.  How to make oneself invisible, how to read the minds of others, how to kill someone by looking at them.  All extremely powerful, and I might add complicated, spells to perform.  Father makes sure I'm the most educated and powerful female member of the Dark Circle.

I broke a few rules you see.

Before me there had never been any women in the forefront of the action.  Sure, there were female Death Eaters, and both Narcissa and my Mother have been granted the Dark Mark, as have many women before them.  But none of them were ever given any important tasks; none of them ever gained The Dark Lords trust and admiration as I have.

But it came with a price.  I have to share my mind with him.  Father said it was a small price to pay, but he just wanted something with which to gloat over the Malfloys with.  My being The Dark Lords pet was just that thing.  He comes and goes as he pleases, and he can hear every thought in my head when he wishes.  It's not like the Imperious Curse-he doesn't control my actions.  He just speaks to me, guides me.  Not that I need guidance.  I have a talent for what I do.  Father recognised it and he set up a phoney attack on our home, using some poor, unsuspecting Muggles as the attackers.  Well maybe not poor.  But anyway, I was the only thing that came out of our house alive that day and I must say it was the hardest test anyone had ever put me through.  Father was a tough man to beat.  I still don't know the spell he used but he managed to put himself into the Muggles, they could perform magic.  And he certainly didn't go easy on me.  Fighting the whole of The Order single-handedly is like a walk in the Hogwarts Grounds compared to what my Father put me through.

But anyway I survived and The Dark Lord heard of my prowess.  So he summoned me and asked what I would like to do to serve him with my power.  And I said I wanted to be a spy and thief, (ok so I wanted to wear a sexy black catsuit and cloak and slink around everywhere) and he agreed.  He said he needed someone capable to help him with certain, projects he called them.  Basically stealing ingredients and talismans to help him again achieve immortal life.  I looked up everything I've stole so far and putting two and two together realised what they were for.

So anyway, back to leaving for Hogwarts.

"Now do remember to write every week.  Are you sure you packed enough Formositas Moisturiser Crème, you know how dull your skin looks if you don't use it.  Make sure you eat now Pansy, but only vegetables and fruit mind you, I remember how fatty the food at Hogwarts was in my day," Mother said, eyeing Millicent Bulstrode's bulk as she lumbered passed us.

God I wish she would lose some weight, and get a wash at least once a month.  It's the disgusting idiots like her, and Crabbe and Goyle, which give us Slytherins our bad name.  I've heard them, striding down the corridor, round little Hufflepuffs talking about how we all look like trolls and ogres.  They can talk.  They all look like little round pods waiting to burst out of their robes.

"And keep on top of your studies, both sets of them," my Father reminds me.

"I am in the top five of the year, Father," I reply, a hint of smugness in my voice.  I worked really hard to get there, to please him, Draco correcting all my botched Transfiguration efforts as so McGonagall would not fail me.

I spot Draco out of the corner of my eye, hanging out of the train door.  He is staring in my direction intently and there is no mistaking the fact he is waiting for me.

"Don't keep Draco waiting now dear," my Mother chirps, her hands clasped and her eyes going remarkably bright.  This must be her dream come true, Draco Malfoy waiting to escort me onto the Hogwarts Express.

"Goodbye," I call over my shoulder as I walk across to him.  Mother waves a handkerchief and Father nods, the traditional Hogwarts goodbye from them.  As I reach up to pull myself into the carriage Draco grabs my arm roughly and yanks me through the door.

"What the hell do you think you are doing, ignoring my letters?" he hissed into my ear.

"What, you actually care Draco?" I reply nonchalantly, striding off down the corridor.  I can hear his seething breath behind me as he follows.

"I, I…"

I turn and grab the front of his robes, pulling him into an empty compartment.

"You don't have to hide it from me, Draco," I said teasingly.  He yanked himself away from me, collapsing onto a seat.

"I swear if you were anyone else, Parkinson."

I grin and flop down onto a seat myself.  I never have to keep up the ladylike graces and airs in front of Draco.  We've been best friends since we were playing with his Fathers potion ingredients in Malfloy Manor, and trying to steal our parents wands so we could perform spells at the age of three.  I must say I was good then as well.

His eyes clouded over and he grabbed hold of my hand suddenly.  I stared at his hand on my own and then into his eyes, wondering.

"I'm sorry, was I to late?"

There was no need for further explanation.

"No," I reply quietly, "He never…"

And that was it.  Draco dived across the space between us, wrapping me in his arms.

"Draco," I gasped, completely taken-aback, "I'm ok, he never-"

"When I walked in there, I, I could have died on the spot.  I didn't know what to do.  Pansy I have never been so worried and you refused to write back.  If it wasn't for Fathers constant reports I'd have thought you were dead."

"Well I'm not," I said, pushing him away.  If anyone happened to walk past and glance in his reputation would be in tatters.  Neither of us wanted that.  You see around me Draco allows his cold, cruel image to fall away.  He lets some of it fall in front of the other Slytherins, but I'm the only one who truly knows him.  He does care you know, admittedly only over a select few people.

Someone knocks on the carriage door and we jump apart as if we'd been burnt.  Blaise enters.

I stand automatically, Draco stands to.  The rules must be obeyed now.  The façade cannot fall in front of Blaise; if he wrote home and told my parents about how un-ladylike I was conducting myself I'm not sure what they would do.  Probably send me to etiquette classes again.  The bane of my existence.

Blaise takes my hand and bows deeply to me as I curtsy.  God we must look so idiotic to anyone watching outside, all these formal traditions.  Now don't get me wrong I do adore them but in the right place.  Yes they would all look pretty at a ball, or revel but on the train to school, no.

They both wait to sit until I have.  "Its not a ball" I long to shout, but a Lady doesn't shout.

Oh yeah I should inform you.  There are two types of revels in our circles.  The normal, elegant balls and banquets that any ordinary wizard might hold, well any ordinary wizard with extreme amounts of money and taste, and the Dark Revels.  I've been to one and it made me sick.  I'm not squeamish, well not very, and I hate Muggles and Mudbloods as much as the next Death Eater but there was just blood everywhere.  People drinking it, bathing in it.  Some of them had completely stripped, it made it easier to go along the lines of Muggle women and rape them.  And the women, they too had their own Muggle men to torment.  And all wore masks, a staple of The Dark Lords.  Everyone wore masks so they could be unidentifiable and could be free to do as they wished.  They hid behind a mask.  I never touched any of the men.  I had fun placing various spells on them in different orders to see the outcome but I never wanted to, you know, rape them.  I want to keep my virginity intact until I am married, just like a proper Lady.

"How was your summer Pansy? I heard it was most exciting." Blaise said in his harmonious lilt.  I have reason to believe he has tampered with his voice box to get it sounding that sexy.

I smile, "Nothing I couldn't handle Blaise," I pat his hand, gently.  Oh what obvious flirting.  Draco raises his eyebrows.  What he doesn't know is that over the summer Blaises and my own parents had a little meeting.  Blaise and I had some fun I must say.  Nothing to heavy, just some innocent kissing and groping.  But anyway Mother seems to want me to make a decision on him, but Father wants to wait to see if any word comes from the Malfloys.

"I heard Potter and the Mudblood unmasked you."

I sigh, God that interfering, bushy haired freak.  I got quite irate about that fact actually.  I had made no mistakes up till then, and then she went and ruined it with a well-placed charm.  The mask was off before I could even breathed.  So I killed her parents.  Tit for tat.

"Unfortunate but it hasn't changed anything.  They still allowed me back into Hogwarts,"

"But why?  I thought Dumbledore would want you out now he knew what you have achieved?"

"Dumbledore knows everything that goes on in this school, and he knows everyone who is on his side, and everyone who is on ours.  He couldn't expel the whole of Slytherin House now could he?  And plus I think he still believes he might be able to save us from the evil" I wave my hands for dramatic effect on the last words.

"We don't want to be saved," Draco grunts from beside me.  Since Blaise walked in his moods been completely off.

"How was your summer then Bla-" I stop mid-sentence.  Draco stood up and stormed out of the compartment, slamming the door shut behind him like a spoilt child.  Blaise turns to me and I shrug demurely.

"Well now we can have some fun," he says, crossing the short space between us in the blink of an eyelid.  His soft lips find mine, teasing them slowly open.  He pushes me down onto the seat, positioning himself on top me.  He's being rather forward I must say, probably because of last time.  His kiss deepens and his hand slides up and down my robe before resting on the top of my thigh.  His lips move to explore my neck, sending tingles across my whole body.

"Blaise," I whisper, "We can't, not here,"

He nods and pulls away, sitting himself down next to me.  Not a moment to soon either as Draco came barging in holding three Pumpkin Juices.  He throws mine at me and almost knocks Blaises head off with his.  He throws himself down onto seat opposite me and glares.  The famous Malfloy glare.  I think he spends hours at home practicing that in front of the mirror.  It's made a few girls faint that look, and not from fear either.

"Summer Blaise?" he said shortly.

"Fine," he says, "Mother and Father, thought I could benefit from a break so they took me to France for a week and then on to Germany and Spain.  France was beautiful, you really must go sometime Pansy, its exquisite."

Draco, humphed and crossed his arms.

"I was in France a year ago," I reply, "With Draco in fact.  But I never had the chance to see the sights."

Blaise smiled, "Another mission?"

I nod.  Those French wizards know some bloody difficult locking charms, worse than the Indians.

"How was yours, Draco?" he asks, although his tone seems to suggest he really doesn't care.

"Fine"

"Draco" I say, exasperated.

He shoots me a death glare.  But I can see his eyes have softened.

"Went to The Middle East, Egypt and Morocco.  Then America and then we came home for Avery's Dark Revel."

My head shot up, "You went?" I say, gripping the cushion of the seat so hard my knuckles turn white.

"Of course," he scoffed, "Why, couldn't you get yourself an invite Parkinson?" but I could tell that was only an act for Blaise, who was known to be an advocate for the Dark Revels.  Draco's eyes were searching my own, looking for the reason I seemed so alarmed.  My stomach felt like it had dropped to the floor.  Which one had he been?  The one who found it funny to stick sharp objects up the women?  The one who had found his sadistic pleasure in placing two strangers under the Imperious Curse and contorting them into the most horrific sexual positions?  I looked away from him-he made me feel ill.

"Pansy are you feeling unwell?" Blaise asks.  He's staring at where I'm gripping my stomach with my hand now.

"Yes," I hear myself say, "Would you please excuse me?"  They both stand as I do and Draco grabs the door for me.  I rush out and along the corridor, knocking into some poor unfortunate first year that looks as if she'll be a Hufflepuff.

I reach the toilets and rush inside, slamming the door and locking it.  I fall in front of the toilet just in time.  The sick burns my throat and makes tears fall from my eyes as I retch.  Once I've finished I lean back against the cool wall, silently crying.  I never, ever thought Draco could, would, I can't ever bring myself to say it.

"Pansy? Pansy are you ok?" a familiar voice calls from outside.  The tears fall harder.

"I'm fine Draco," I reply, my voice shaky.  I'm not though.

"I'll just wait here for you then,"

That brings a smile to my face.  How silly he'll look waiting outside the girl's toilets on his own.  He'll get some funny looks.  I stand and lumber toward a sink, splashing my blotchy skin with the cool water.  My eyes are watering and my face has gone red.  Sighing I pull out my wand and mutter some spells to clean myself up.  Then pointing it into my mouth I whisper I clever little charm to freshen ones breath, "Mintus Smellick"

"Pansy hurry up, I'm getting strange looks," Draco hissed though the keyhole.  The next minute I could hear high-pitched squealing and when I threw open the door a girl was writhing on the floor, her body covered in snakes.  A flashback hit me, a Muggle women rolling on the floor, her body covered in snakes.  The man performing the spell had ended it and climbed on top of her.  That was all the proof I needed.  Stalking past him I stormed down the corridor.  I could hear his running steps following me.  He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the nearest compartment.

"Out," he barked to the group of girls, all Slytherins.  They eyed us suspiciously and Meliance Zambini piped up, "Oh hello Pansy, our house was so much more interesting whilst you were there."

I thought Draco was going to explode, "OUT" he roared.  The girls jumped and scampered out.

"Firstly we will address your sudden interest in puking in the train toilets," he said, "And then we will address the reason you visited the Blaises over the summer."

"Draco you know why I-" his look silenced me.  He crossed the distance between us in one stride and grabbed my shoulders gently with his hands.  He looked into my eyes but I couldn't hold his gaze.

"I didn't you know," he said, dropping his hold and sitting down, "I didn't touch any of them."

I stare at him in shock, "But that spell?"

"Father taught me it.  It's one of his favourites.  It was probably him."

I sigh and sit next to him, making sure our bodies are close.  "Sorry," I whisper, "How did you know why I was, ill?" Draco never lies to me.

"It wasn't hard Pansy," he replied, "You ran out of there as if I had just set fire to you when I mentioned the revel and then when you saw that spell I thought you were going to throw your guts up all over again in the corridor."

I smiled.  So he does care.

"I knew you were there," he carried on, "And I wouldn't do anything anyway.  It might suit some others but I certainly do not like attending these Dark Revels.  I told Father and he said I need not attend another, he says that unless The Dark Lord is there they are not compulsory, just fun."

I shudder, fun?

"Of course I enjoy a good spot of Muggle torture," he says, "Extremely akin to what you were doing with your time at the revel,"

"You knew which one I was?" I say in surprise.

"Of course.  How long have I known you and you think I can't recognise you under a mask?"

I felt bad now.  Draco had been able to recognise me but I had no idea which one he was.  Then again I wasn't looking for him.

"Now Blaise," he said, his eyes hardening.

"His parents and mine set up a meeting over the summer," was the simple answer.

"Oh," he said, "And?"

"Blaise was very nice.  It was enjoyable."

"Have you agreed yet?"  His grip on my arm tightened.

"No," I whisper.

"Good.  Because you'll want to consider all options before you decide, Parkinson."


	2. Balls and Proposals

Disclaimer – Everything you recognise, belongs not to me, but the talented JK.  Anything else is more than likely mine.

_Authors Note – Another Pansy Draco story, our favourite couple.  This is going to get quite dark and our three favourite main characters are going to be shown in quite a different light._

_Crudelis Ferreus_

_Chapter Two – Balls and Proposals_

"Parkinson if you do not refrain from poking me in the head I will not ask you to accompany me to this years Yule Ball,"

The students around us sniggered and some of the other girls shot venomous looks at me.

"Oh come on," I said to a Ravenclaw who looked as if she was going to burst into tears, "You didn't seriously toy with the idea Draco would ask you?"

She burst into tears and ran out of the Charms classroom.  Professor Flitwick, as usual, looked completely lost as to what to do.

"Quiet down now.  Oh dear would you follow her please Miss Birch?  Oh dear oh dear," he said, toppling off the pile of books that sufficed as his chair.

"Was that a serious offer then Malfoy," I said in his ear.  He smirked.

"Of course Parkinson.  I know it may seem strange, my lowering myself to your level but you'll have to do."

I poked him in the head again.

Ever since the Triwizard Tournament, and the first ever ball, it has become a Hogwarts Tradition to hold a Yule Ball on the last Saturday of term.  Everyone who's anyone attends and to be seen without a date was like walking into a crowded room with no robes on.  It wasn't done.  The scramble for dates some people had to make was extremely amusing.  Even Crabbe and Goyle found dates for it.  Well saying that they took it in turns to accompany Millicent Bulstrode.

Someone on the other side of the room set fire to Flitwick's pile of books.  He gave us a defeated look.

"Well it is near the end of term.  If I let you go will you go quietly?"

There was a roar of approval and then a stampede to exit the room in which the minute little man was knocked off his feet.  Draco and I saunter out of the room moments later, a knot of giggling Slytherin girls following us.

I lay on my bed, catching up on my studies.  Books littered it, old and well they would have been dusty if it wasn't for the house-elves I ordered to clean them everyday.  I grinned to myself; I wouldn't mind trying this spell out on Granger, turning her inside out would be quite amusing.

"What's so funny?" Draco demanded from the corner of my bed.  I jumped and promptly landed in a shocked pile of limbs on the floor.

"Draco, don't you make any noise?" I hissed at him.  My elbow was throbbing from where it had hit the stone floor and the wind had been near knocked from me.  His head appeared over the bed as I tried to push myself to my knees.

"Staple of a good, Malfloy, not seen not heard," he said chirpily.  Ok well as chirpily as Draco gets.  His brow furrowed however as he watched my futile attempts to get to my feet.

"You ok?" he said, swinging his legs over so he could kneel next to me.

"Yes," I said sarcastically, "Falling onto a hard stone floor is just like falling onto a pile of cushions for me."

"Sorry," he said.  He took hold of my arm and slung it gently over his shoulder, and wrapping his own arms around me he pulled me to my feet.

"Watch were those hands are going Malfloy," I warned him.  I got a smirk in reply.

He supported me with one arm while he cleared the bed of books, "Interesting," he muttered at the brief snatches of pages he caught, "Must read these at some time Pansy."

"Whatever," I said shortly.  My stomach was really hurting now.  I think I've broken a rib.  Gently he lowered me onto the bed and I lay down.  He quickly scooted to the other side of the bed and lay next to me on his side.  He reached out toward my top.

"Draco, what the hell are you doing?" I said, mortified.  Secretly I was quite pleased.

"I'm going to look at your stomach Pansy.  Contrary to your beliefs I am actually an honourable gentleman."

I scoffed, "Yeah ok," but I didn't stop him as he pulled my top away from my stomach.  His cold hands brushed my skin, sending delicious shivers across it.  His fingers found the offending rib and I gasped in pain.  Fine.  Pain and partly ecstasy.

"Its broken" he stated, "You must have fell pretty hard."

"You don't say," I muttered.

He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the rib.  It was sticking out of my stomach at an odd angle.

"If you damage me in any way Draco I will break every bone in your body."

"Any other way," he corrected.  I shut my eyes as I felt the sharp pain in my stomach.  It felt like millions of tiny pins were pricking into my skin.  I kept them tightly shut and didn't open them for what seemed like minutes after the pain had stopped.  Draco was still staring at my, and I'm proud to say this, stick-thin stomach.  Mother will be so happy with me.  You can actually see my ribs through it.  He looked shocked though.

"Pansy so you ever eat?"

"Not if I can help it," I replied.  I felt my completely back to normal rib.  "Thanks"

He waved away my thanks and placed his own hand back onto my ribs.

"Pansy you're too thin.  Look at you.  It's not healthy." He said.  The shivers had started again.

"I'm too fat Draco, look," I said, grabbing a handful of skin.  I must admit it's getting pretty hard to grab anything off my body any more.

"Your not fat," he replied.  He didn't stop caressing my stomach, "Your too thin.  You never were fat and you never will be."

"I will when I have children." I pointed out.

"You never will be able to if you carry on like this," he replied.  He removed his hand from my stomach and involuntarily I tutted.

"Enjoying that were you?" he said, a smirk on his face and a hint of amusement in his voice.  His hand crept toward my bare flesh again.

_"Parkinson," _his voice seared through my mind.  It was so painful I took my head in my hands, trying to squash him out.

"Pansy, Pansy what's wrong?" Draco said, gripping my hands and trying to pry them from my hair.

But The Dark Lord was gone, he had done it to spite me, stop anything from happening between Draco and I.  He had never done that with Blaise.

"Headache," I said weakly.  He didn't look as if he believed me but he nodded anyway.

"I shall take my leave of you then," he started to get up but my hand shot out and I grabbed his arm.

"Please don't Draco,"

He said nothing but lay down next to me.  My head found his shoulder and his arm encircled my waist, making the bare skin near my hip tingle.

I can't remember when I've ever had such sweet dreams.

December 19th the date of the ball.  I roared at Millicent to get out of the room, magically locked the door, (she barely knew how to lift her wand never mind perform a spell with it) and started my traditional ball regime.

Well of course firstly I bathed, while Draco annoyingly kept trying to break my charm on the girls bathroom door.  Someone trained like me, he had no chance.  Firstly my hair.  I dried it with my Mothers favourite charm, which dries ones hair perfectly straight.  Then I set about the various silkening, shimmering and straightening charms I know.  I also used a charm I only recently discovered which perfects the colour of ones hair.  It was now an even darker, raven black.

Then my face and body.  Various crèmes went on first, followed by another shimmering charm.  Make-up first, a pale pink eye shadow to compliment my dress, beautiful dark eyelashes to frame my glimmering eyes, (none magical I might add), a perfectly pale complexion, and glittery, pale pink lips.  I sprayed a liberal amount of perfume on myself.  I was running low but I assumed Mother would buy me another bottle of my chosen scent, Dulcis Mellitus, for Christmas.  One bottle cost 100 galleons, probably more than Weasley's whole house was worth.

"Pansy let me in," came Millicent's voice from the other side of the door.

"It's open" I lie.  It'll take her hours to figure out why she can't open it.

I dance my way over to where my dress is laid out on the bed.  Ok so I remember saying once I don't dance but I do, on occasion.  And this was definitely a momentous one.  It was my last ever Yule Ball and Draco was accompanying me.  Ok so he had for every one since the fourth year but this was our last ever.  Most seventh years going together were considered near enough wed already.  Draco and I, I had no idea.

Anyway the dress.  Extremely expensive.  Father had to bite his cheek to stop himself having a fit in the boutique when the shopkeeper told us the price.  It would have been very unseemly if Mr Parkinson, one of the richest wizards in the country, had had a fit over a five thousand-galleon dress.

I gave up on robes years ago.  They don't show enough flesh.  Anyway the dress.  God I am getting so sidetracked here.  The excitement I assume.

It was a cool, frosted pink covered in real, glittering diamonds.  No wonder it cost five thousand galleons.  I wouldn't have minded going cheaper and buying a three thousand dress but Mother insisted that I be unique and this was the only dress in the shop that had not been mass-produced.

It was off the shoulder and quite low cut I might add.  Tight in the bodice, showing off my new, slimmer shape, it flared out at the hips, creating a long, loose effect in the skirt. 

I slowly pulled it on, careful not to knock any of the diamonds.  They were very delicate.

Millicent banged on the door again, "Pansy I can't open it and there's only five minutes left till the ball,"

Rolling my eyes I flicked my wand toward the door.  She burst through, red faced and panting.

Two minutes later and she was sitting on her bed ready.  I wrinkled my nose in disgust.  I was preening in the mirror, blasting stray eyebrow hairs away and touching up various bits of my make-up.

"I do hope you bathed Millicent," I remarked to her.  She usually smelt as if she hadn't in three years.

"Yes I had a bath.  I used some of your smelly potion to," she said proudly.

I rounded on her, my eyes blazing, "You what!  Do you know how expensive that potion is?  It is not to be used on the likes of you!"

She stood up and advanced toward me.  Ok now I was kind of scared.  My wand was lying on the floor where I had dropped it in shock, out of bloody reach.  Oh sorry, a Lady doesn't swear.  I might win in a war of wands but Millicent had a certain height and width advantage when it involved fists.

"You always treat me mean Pansy.  And I don't like it," she said, stopping in front of me.  Oh God my hair was going to be ruined.

"One more step toward my date Bulstrode and when Crabbe tried to kiss you at the end of the night he'll have to kiss your ass,"

I smiled in relief.  Millicent would never deny an order from a Malfoy.  Plus he had his wand pointed at her.  She stepped away from me.

"Now Crabbe is waiting for you in the common room.  Go,"

She left quickly, pushing past him.  He didn't let his wand drop until she had turned the corner.

"Oh Draco," I said.  Yeah I sounded like some defenceless damsel, but hey, I like to make a man feel manly and strong.

"Did the ugly, great brute hurt you?" he said striding toward me.

"No," I whispered breathlessly.  It didn't hurt to milk it now, "But I thought she was going to ruin my hair-it took hours," I gushed turning to the mirror.

His reflection smiled at me and he held out a neatly wrapped package.

"For me?" I said into the mirror.

"No for Millicent," it retorted.

I whirled around.  "Thank you," I said, taking it from him.  It was pale pink with a silver ribbon.  My heightened fifth sense began to tingle.  I undid the bow and pulled off the lid.  Lying in folds of soft white tissue lay a beautiful, single diamond.

"Wow," I breathed.  He must have spoken to Mother as it matched my dress perfectly and I had never shown it to him.  "Its beautiful."

"I know," he said, "It had to be a) because it cost so much and b) so it would compliment you."

I smiled and ran my fingers over its cool surface; his hand appeared over mine and picked the diamond up placing it on my neck, just between my collarbones.

"Here?" he said.

I looked into the mirror again and nodded.  A moment later and his hand fell away but the stone stayed perfectly positioned on my pale skin.  Anywhere light hit it glittered.  I caught Draco's eye in the mirror.

"You look beautiful you know," he said, stepping in and pressing himself against my back.  His arms snaked around my waist and he let his lips fall to my neck, kissing ever so gently.  I leaned back into him, my eyes closing and my lips letting out a sign of contentment.

He pulled away though.

"No," I whispered, trying to pull him back toward me.

"Pansy we have a ball to attend," he said in a voice that didn't entirely convince me he wouldn't rather stay here, alone all evening.

"You wouldn't want to miss out on showing off to everyone now would you?"

That did it.  I turned to face him, pressing against him.  It was his turn to sigh as I caught his lips with my own.

"Shall we go?" I said, pulling away.

Wrapping his arm around me so his hand was placed in the small of my back he gestured for me to walk out the door.

I don't know when it happened but I've fallen for Draco.  Hard and very, very far.

The tradition of the ball was that until everyone arrived, the students stayed seated.  Draco and I were last in of course and drew gasps of wonder and approval from the school.  I stuck my nose in the air and pretended I was used to it.  Hey I was but not in such large doses.

Draco led me to a table, his hand guiding me from the small of my back.  I sat down and he pulled his chair closer to me.

"Draco you're almost sitting on my lap," I commented, noting the gang of Slytherin boys all nudging Blaise and the murderous looks I was getting from their dates.  Hey I said it was dangerous being a Slytherin.  Blaise stood up and made his way over.

"Pansy" he said, "Your looking wonderful this evening," he took my hand and kissed it, eyeing me from under a wisp of brown hair.  I placed my other hand on Draco's leg to placate him.  Blaise must still think we were on.  Well we were very, very off.

"Thank you Blaise," I said, smiling graciously, "Your looking wonderful yourself,"

I must say he was looking all right, quite handsome really.  But he wasn't a patch on Draco.  He placed his own hand over mine in a possessive gesture that made my knees wobble.  His other hand began to rub my back.

"So, er, who are you-I mean you did you invite?"

I shot Draco a warning look.  His touch had made me go completely to pot.

"I brought Maria Latia," he said, pulling a tanned, quite pretty girl forward.

"Hi," she said, offering a well manicured hand to me.  I shook it, smiling at the girl.  She offered it to Draco and when he took it she looked as if she was about to melt.

"What year are you Maria?" I said politely.  In reality I couldn't wait for them to get lost so Draco and I could be alone.

"Fourth year," she replied.  There was no need for houses.  Slytherins only dated Slytherins.

"I think your dress is beautiful," she carried on, her confidence growing, "And how did you get that crystal to hang at your neck so?"

Oh she'd blown it.  Draco puffed up next to me.

"Crystal," he roared, "Crystal," he began to shake his head.  I distinctly heard him mutter something about "un-cultured" under his breath.

"That, my dear," he said, "Is a real, expensive diamond."

Maria looked mortified.  "S-sorry" she stammered.

"We'll take our leave of you then," Blaise said hurriedly.  He dragged her off, probably lecturing the girl on ball etiquette.

"Why don't you ever call me 'My dear' Draco" I questioned teasingly.

"Because your much more special than that," he replied nonchalantly, stroking my cheek, "Much more"

I blushed.  Draco leaned in and kissed me gently.  Then he deepened it, pushing open my mouth with his tongue, exploring its depths.  I kissed him back, passionately.  My whole body tingled from the contact with him.  I had never felt like this with Blaise.

"God if it gets any worse his tongue will be brushing her stomach," someone commented near us.  Draco broke the kiss quickly.

"At least I'm getting some Weasley," he retorted.

Both Hermione and Ron blushed and looked down.  Draco smirked and turned back to me.

"Care to dance," he said, sweeping me to my feet.

We strode out into the middle of the floor.  Fairies littered the ceiling, sending out their beautiful little twinkling lights, which in turn made my diamonds sparkle even more.

"Everyone's watching us," Draco commented after a long, but comfortable, silence.

"So they should," I replied.  I smiled inside.

"Modesty is a virtue," he shot back.  Although he smiled to.  I let my head drop onto his shoulder and he pulled me closer.  It was as if we were made to fit together, oh God wait that sounded rather mushy.  Oh well it's a great evening I' m sure you'll let me off.

"Come on," he whispered into my ear, "Let's go outside"

The grounds were filled with the same decorations as usual, rosebushes and fairies.  Draco pulled me along path after path, until we came to a shimmering pool.  Pulling off his cloak he sat down and motioned for me to follow.  I placed myself in front of him, leaning against his strong frame.  He wrapped his arms around my waist and I placed my hands over his.  We sat there for hours, in complete silence, contemplating the beauty of the silvery pool.  Every so often he would kiss the top of my head, breathing in the scent of my hair.

"Parkinson," he said suddenly, "I think I love you."

"Well that's comforting," I reply, butterflies dancing in my stomach, "Because I love you too"

He tightened his hold on me but said nothing else.  I don't think we needed to.

Hours later I spotted the lights of the school beginning to flicker and go out.

"I think the balls finished." I said, not really wanting to move.  Draco however pushed me forwards and began to get up.

"Fine, push me over," I grumbled, getting to my feet.  The next minute my legs were swept from under me and I found myself held in the strong arms of Draco.

"Pick that cloak up," he said, bending so I could reach it.  Wrapping one arm around his neck I pulled it toward me and as he began to make his way toward the castle I arranged it over myself.

"For what do I owe you this honour?" I said giddily.  How un-ladylike.

"The mood ran away with me," he muttered.  "Pansy you weigh nothing.  Are you still not eating properly?"

I rolled my eyes and didn't answer.  This had become a crusade of his, forcing me to eat.  I'd put weight on-Mother would not be pleased.

"Pansy," he said warningly but I silenced him with a kiss.  He stopped walking and kissed me back fiercely and I swear if he hadn't of had hold of me my knees would have buckled.

He tried to pull away but I grabbed the back of his head and yanked his lips back.  He wasn't getting away from me that easily.  When I finally did release my hold on his blonde locks his face was more than surprised.

"Pansy?" he said quietly.  His lips had gone rather red and I touched my hand to my own throbbing ones.  Snuggling into his chest I was asleep before we even reached the castle.

I woke up the next morning tucked into my bed.  My dress had been removed and I had been left in my underwear.  A black lump at the end of my bed caught my eye and I kicked it lightly.  It mumbled something and rolled over.

"Draco," I said a blush creeping onto my cheeks, "It wasn't you who undressed me was it?"

"What does it matter?" he muttered, his voice muffled as his face was buried in my covers, "I'm the only one who has and will ever see you."

I bit my lip.  That wasn't strictly true.  Draco however rolled over and noticed my look.

"That is true, isn't it?" he said, his eyes narrowing.  "The Dark Lord never touched you did he?"

I shook my head.  Oh thank The Dark Lord I got out of that one.  But Draco noticed something in my relieved look.

"That is true, isn't it Pansy?" he repeated.  I looked down.

"Blaise," I mumbled quietly.

"YOU HAVEN'T SHAGGED BLAISE HAVE YOU?" he roared.  I visibly shrank away from him, wildly shaking my head.

"What have you done?" he said, his voice low.

"N-nothing much.  It was when I went to his house over the summer.  We just kissed, and er stuff."

"Stuff?" he repeated, "Stuff?  You mean to tell me you've done stuff with that idiot?" he looked disgusted in me.

"Well you've done stuff with other people," I countered.  He didn't reply.  Silently he jumped off the bed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut.  I sat up.  In his haste to leave he had left his cloak lying at the end of my bed.  Picking it up I hugged it to me.  It didn't stop the tears from falling.

The tears, which are still falling near two weeks later.  I'm meant to be preparing myself for the New Years Ball at Malfoy Manor but the knot in my stomach won't let me.  I stare at my reflection in the mirror.  Even for my standards I look terribly thin.  My bones are sticking out at odd angles and my skin looks extremely dull.  Slowly I pull myself from the bed and begin the same routine as always, hair, make-up, perfume, dress.  This time it's a green velvet creation, which compliments my dark hair.  Green eye shadow to match and clear lips.  Perfect complexion again and all the usual charms.  I reach for the new bottle of Dulcis Mellitus on my cabinet.  It arrived on Christmas Day with a brief, formal note from Draco.  I sent him an extremely rare and valuable book on Dark Magic, one I know he'd been dying to get his hands on since he was five.

Anyway I must say, once I had finished I looked quite good, considering my previous state of red, tear-stained eyes and pallid skin.  Now I just had my Mothers inspection to survive.

"Not as good as the photograph you sent of the Yule Ball dear but still quite acceptable."

"Thank you Mother," I reply, bowing my head.

"Now I told your Father under no circumstances are we Flooing to the Malfoys, all that dirt and grime, so he agreed to Apparate with you, ok dear?"

I nod.

"Now remember," Fathers gruff voice said, "Don't squirm and keep tight hold of my arm.  It won't do for you getting spliced on such an important evening."

"Yes Father," I said, my tone monotonous.

"Pansy dear, smile.  It won't do for you to look miserable at the party.  Now Draco will be there, you do want to make a good impression, don't you?"

I nod but I can't speak.

"Yes you wouldn't want to make a bad impression on me now would you Pansy?  I want you looking perfect because tonight's our night" rattled through my skull.

As I walked into the Grand Hall of the Malfoys home my Mother threw me a warning look.  So I sealed on my most gracious smile and thanked and cooed with Narcissa, whilst always on the lookout for Draco.  I spotted him surrounded by a group of giggling females sat on couches.  I looked away quickly as he spotted me, pretending I was totally engrossed in Narcissa's words.  I didn't notice him shoot to his feet or begin striding toward me, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

"Mother, Mrs Parkinson," he said graciously.  I jumped as his voice came from behind me.

"I do hope you won't mind if I whisk Pansy away?  We have so much catching up to do."

"Not at all" my Mother replied, beaming.  He grabbed my arm and smiling all the time dragged me away.  Once we were out of view however his hold on my arm became painful.

"Draco you're hurting me," I said trying to pull out of his vice-like grip.  Oh how easy it would be if he were Weasley.

"Not as much as your hurting yourself," he muttered.  He had led me into a chamber off the main ballroom and stopped me in front of a mirror.

"Look at yourself," he commanded.  So I did.  I'm sure I've told you you never disobey a Malfoy.

I looked ill, really ill.  Well of course I looked good, my hair, make-up and clothes were perfect but my body-that was another matter.  I was painstakingly thin, so thin my elbows jutted out and you could see the outlines of the bones in my arms.  Although it did give my cheeks good bone structure.

"You can't have eaten anything since you got home" he said, dropping down onto a couch.  The next minute I was pulled into his lap and he wrapped his arms around me.

"God Pansy I could knock you over with a Hippogriff feather" he commented.

"Well they are pretty tough" I replied.  I snuggled into him, burying my head in his chest so he wouldn't witness my tears.  I needed no words to know we were back together.  He had other ideas though.  Gently he lifted my head up but his expression was shocked when he saw my glassy eyes and tear-streaked face.

"Pansy, are you crying?"

"No," I said in a shaky voice.

He pulled me back down to his chest, crushing me to it.  I weakly tried to protest, 

"You're crushing my dress," I moaned.  He just kissed my forehead and went back to stroking my hair.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven," 

Even us high-status wizards chant you know when it gets to New Year.  Draco grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the Ballroom again.

"Six, Five, Four,"

"Pansy I, I've wanted to ask you something for awhile now.  I've missed you so much you know over this holiday and I don't want us to ever be apart again,"

"Three,"

I think I know what's coming.

"Two,"

Draco got down on his knee and pulled out a black velvet box.

"Pansy will you marry me?"

"One"

I can't stop the grin from spreading across my face.  I launch myself at Draco and he falls backward, landing spread-eagled on the floor with me on top of him.

"Is that a yes?" he grinned.

"Was there ever any doubt," I whispered back.  He kissed me gently whilst sliding the ring onto my finger.  The amount of love in that one kiss made me noticeably shake.

I pulled away and gazed down at my diamond.

"It matches the other one," he said, rubbing my goosebumpy arms.  I bent down to kiss him again but was interrupted by,

"Pansy that is not very ladylike at all,"

I turn round to see my Mother looking murderous in the doorway accompanied by my Father and the Malfoys.  I smile sheepishly and hold out my left hand.

"Draco proposed Mother,"

All ideals of ladylikeness were forgone as my Mother squealed and ran toward us.


	3. Torn

Disclaimer – Everything you recognise, belongs not to me, but the talented JK.  Anything else is more than likely mine.

_Authors Note – Another Pansy Draco story, our favourite couple.  This is going to get quite dark and our three favourite main characters are going to be shown in quite a different light._

_Crudelis Ferreus_

Chapter Three – Torn 

"Well done Draco, you have bound her to yourself just in time to thwart me,"

Everyone fell silent.  My Mother froze mid step and my Father froze in mid congratulatory kiss with Narcissa.  Draco pushed me from my perch and stood up, a muscle in his cheek beginning to twitch.  I stood up with him and stepped forward, only to find myself meet his arm.

No one even breathed.

"Parkinson I wish to converse with you," Draco's hand grabbed my arm.  The Dark Lord smirked nastily.

"She is safe, Malfoy," he began, "Am I not a man of my word?"

And he is.  It is a pledge of The Dark Lords that he will not touch any woman already betrothed or engaged when they join The Death Eaters.  Hence there was an increase in the number of Slytherins getting engaged in their last year.  I had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.  What if that was the only reason Draco asked me to marry him?  At least it showed he cared for my safety.  But it could be addressed later.

He reluctantly let his hand fall.  I walked toward my Master, who placing his hand on my back swept me out of the room.  I can tell you his touch did not cause pleasant shivers on my skin.

"I have a new mission for you, Pansy," he said abruptly.  He always cut straight to the chase.

"More dangerous than any you have previously been on.  And if you don't perish, I might consider terminating our bond.  I feel as though I can trust you, as you have never let me down."

Way to build someone's confidence, "If you don't perish."

"What is it you ask of me Master?"

He smirked and swept me away from prying ears.

"He wants you to what?" Draco jumped upwards on the bed, banging his head on a low beam of wood.

"Oh fucking hell," he said irritably.

"Draco how dare you use such language in front of a Lady," I said in a falsely shocked voice.

"Don't mess with me Pansy," he replied rubbing his head.

"Here" I said, sitting next to him on the bed and kissing the red mark that was forming.  Draco jerked away.  I felt hurt I must say.  But I said nothing.

"He wants you to break into Gringotts and steal the most heavily guarded item in the world?" he repeated my earlier words, "It's bloody insane."

"It's going to be bloody fun though," I reply.  It will.  I haven't been on a proper mission since the last time I met Potty and the Weasel with Granger in tow.

"Not for me it won't.  I'll have to sit at home worrying about you."

"Draco you sound like a girl." I said in a frustrated tone.

"I don't care what I sound like, I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," I said grabbing his hand, "Draco anyone would think you cared"

He sat watching me all the while I prepared.  Black catsuit, cloak and wand.  Hair tied back.  That was all I needed.  He was silent until I told him it was time.  I'd stayed at Malfoy Manor since he had proposed, in Draco's quarters, although we hadn't actually, you know, gone all the way.

"Make's me wish I'd already shagged you" he grumbled.  I swatted at his head.

"I love you," he whispered into my hair, squashing me against him.

"God anyone would think you thought I wasn't coming back," I tried but failed to grin.

"Don't say that," he replied, "I'd have to find a new wife then and that would prove most difficult."

"Why?  There are plenty of eligible young women queuing up to marry you" I replied with a certain smugness to my tone.

"Yeah but none of them are you."

Ok so I had arrived at the dingy back entrance to Gringotts.  Dingy about summed up the grotty little hole in the earth in front of me.

"I have to crawl through that," I whispered, wondering why I was trying to look upwards at my head.  It just wouldn't work.

_"Yes," _he hissed, _"There is no other way to enter the building secretively, even for one as powerful as you."_

"If I'd been given more than five days to prepare I would have found something" I muttered mutinously.

_"Parkinson," _came his warning tone.

"Well, here goes nothing" I thought and I thrust my head and shoulders down the dank hole.

_"Lumos," _he muttered impatiently.  But before I had a chance to reach for my wand something slimy grabbed me around the shoulders and dragged my whole body into the hole.  It pulled me forwards and with astonishing speed began to carry me down the twisting tunnel.  Instead of fighting I let it carry me, if the thing tried to eat me when we got to the end of the tunnel I'd blast its head off.

Roughly five minutes later the slimy thing deposited me into a puddle and disappeared.

"Nice service," I muttered, trying to brush slime and earth off my clothes.

_"Time for that later," _he said, _"Get to the chamber."_

I pulled out my wand and muttered "Lumos".  I was in a larger tunnel, the ceiling stretched out for miles above me.

"Fancy," I muttered.  Heels sticking in the mud I began my journey along this new tunnel.

"Pity they didn't have a slime-thing to carry you down this tunnel," I muttered an hour later, "When I get out of here I'm definitely putting in a complaint."

"Have you still not found it Parkinson?  Wait… around this corner…" 

And there it was.  A rough wooden door in the mud wall opposite me.  I ran the rest of the way and crouched next to it.  "Most heavily guarded item in the world?" I'm beginning to think they have overestimated it.

Ok now what have they put on this door and where is its centre?

You see when witches or wizards put certain guarding charms on doors they have to make a part of the door a centre, so they can open it themselves.  Or if you're me you can use any object under the sun as a centre.  Imagine the funniness of a horde of Ravenclaws stampeding out of a room because the door kept locking and unlocking by itself.  Hilarious.

Anyway back to the door.  It seemed to have no handle, the usual centre.  In fact it had no distinguishing features at all.  Which made me think…yes there it was.  A mound of mud sticking out a few centimetres from the wall.  I tapped it lightly and the door swung violently open, knocking me to the floor.

"Oh for fucks sake," I mutter.

_"That wasn't very ladylike now was it," _he taunted.

I ignored him and cast my wands light into the room.  It was bare except for a pedestal in the centre.

_"Now remember," _he said, _"Step on the wrong stone once and sections of floor will fall away.  Twice and the remaining stones will turn explosive."_

I nod.  Now the fun starts.

Firstly though I need more light.

"Sunlita," I shout and a great, yellow, flaming ball forms in my hand.  I throw it upwards and it settles near the ceiling.  Light suddenly blazes outward from it, filling every nook and cranny of the room.

"Perfect" I said.  I slowly step into the room, making sure I'm standing on the small amount space between the door and the first stones.

"Right so I'd need to know which of you babies will fall away," I said.  To be honest I didn't know if this would work but hell I'd give it a go.

"Relous Secriti" I shouted.  For a moment nothing happened.  Then huge chunks of floor began to fall away.

"Not good," I mutter.

"On the contrary, very good Parkinson.  You are rid of half of the wrong stones already.  Now just find out which stones have explosive tendencies and avoid them."

Easy.

"Relous Exploi" I shout.  Half the remaining stones glow bright red.

"So all I have to do is avoid them?  Piece of cauldron cake,"

I jumped and landed lightly onto the first stone.  Then the second, third fourth and fifth.  The sixth was a little harder, on a wonky diagonal but I made it.  Now I was getting cocky.  The next one I back flipped over to.  Only two more now.  I stepped onto the second to last and grinned.  I had to make the final jump something special.  Turning my back to it I threw my weight forward and then backward into a back somersault.  Unfortunately for me I landed awkwardly, my foot only a centimetre away from a glowing stone.  Throwing out my arms I gradually brought my balance under control.  Then grinning I turned to the pedestal.

"Oh fancy putting all those absurd protections on the room and not even spelling the stone," I exclaimed grabbing the tiny crystal off its stand.  So this little thing was what I'd come to collect.  Pitiful.

"That was a nice show you put on for us Parkinson," a familiar voice commented.  I spun round on my heel, my expression turning from anger to amusement in the blink of an eye.

"Weasel, and Potty.  Oh and the Mudblood.  What a treat!" I said with false brightness.

Granger's expression was so proud you'd have thought she had already locked me Azkaban.  Doesn't that girl realise I'm not beaten until I'm dead?

"Shut it Parkinson," she said, "There's no getting away this time"

Potter just stood contemplating.  I didn't like the way his brain was ticking, probably working out why some blocks were glowing and others weren't.  I hoped to The Dark Lord they didn't understand the protections this place was under.

They obviously didn't as Ron blindly took a step forward, thankfully onto a non-glowing stone.  He was inanely grinning from ear to ear.  Stupid boy.  I dared not move, just watched his feet.  If he weren't careful he'd blow me to kingdom come.

Another step onto a non-glowing stone.  But my sigh of relief caught in my throat as he brought his foot up again.  The step directly in front of him, the one he was aiming for, was glowing a deathly red.

Thankfully Potter called out before he placed his foot down, "Wait Ron.  She doesn't want you to step on the glowing ones."

Damn him and his heightened perception.

"Ok" Ron said slowly, blindly trusting.  He made his way over to me, avoiding all the glowing stones, his long legs making ease of the jumps mine hadn't.  There was no glorious finish when he reached the closest non-glowing stone to me however.

"Put the crystal back, Parkinson," he said triumphantly, "And come quietly."

That was his undoing.  Quick decisions had to be made.  Eying the distance between us my mind was set.

"No,"

Quick as a flash and before he could react I threw myself toward him, knocking him off balance.  Harry and Granger watched on in horror as Ron tumbled toward a gap in the stones.  Trying to save his own life he reached out and grabbed the nearest stone.  Unfortunately for us all it glowed red.

"Ron," the Mudblood screamed as I threw myself into the air.  The stone beneath me exploded, as did all the stones, sending pieces of rock flying through the air.  As I opened my mouth to shout a spell one flew at me out of nowhere.  It caught me a thudding blow to the head.  I screamed as I began to plummet toward the vast blackness that had once been the floor.  I froze suddenly in mid-air though.  My head snapped toward Potter.  His wand was out and he looked determined.

"Thanks Potter," I whispered before disappearing before his very eyes.

"You have yet again made me proud Pansy," The Dark Lord said, "Please stand.  Once I have made the necessary arrangements I will honour my word and remove our bond.  Until then I hope you enjoy the new term at Hogwarts."

I turned to go.

"And well done for saving us the job of eliminating another Weasley."

"As we begin a new term I am afraid I must start it with some distressing news.  Another member of our school community has lost their lives in the fight to defeat Voldemort,"

I shudder.  How dare anyone not worthy speak his name?

"Ronald Weasley.  A popular Gryffindor and worthy member of the cause lost his life three days ago whilst trying to protect a valuable crystal, " Dumbledore's gaze travelled over to me, "Our thoughts are with his family, whom have already given so much for our cause.  It doesn't seem a year since we announced the death of his younger sister, Ginny.  Our thoughts are with them all."

Students rose to pay their respects to the Weasley's.  Except me however.  Draco stayed in his seat too, as did most Slytherins.  I grabbed Ferkis, a first year, as she jumped out of her seat and yanked her back into it.

"We don't commemorate Gryffindors," I spat.

"Especially ones you've killed," Draco whispered in my ear, "Did I remind you of how much I love you for ridding the world of that twerp?"

"You did and I hope that's not the only reason you love me?"

"Of course not" he said, planting a kiss on my cheek, "There are a thousand more."

"Good because I was going to disembowel you if you said yes and that can get messy."

"I know.  And stains are so hard to get out of your school uniform"

I eyed a piece of brown toast apprehensively.

"Eat it," he ordered.

I've said before, you never disobey an order from a Malfoy.

Granger eyed me all the way through Potions.  It got to me so much I accidentally spilt a whole jar of Ketiux Solution into my Transforming Potion.

"Whoa Pansy," Draco exclaimed, "Careful.  You'll blow us all to smithereens."

Granger made a strange short of shriek and rounded on us, "It wouldn't be the first time," she hissed.  Potter grabbed her arm, his face emotionless.

"And it won't be the last either," I hissed back at her.  She dived for me but Potter held her back.

"Mr Potter, Miss Granger if you do not wish to lose your house fifty points each, I suggest you both get back to brewing your potions," Professor Snape's silky voice cut in.

Reluctantly they both turned back to their cauldrons.  Draco was on his feet next to me, seething.

"When I get my hands on Potter…" he began to mutter.

I just put my hand on his shoulder and pushed him back onto his stool.

That evening as Draco escorted me from the Great Hall after dinner I caught Potter and Granger eyeing me nervously from a dark corner, whispering suspiciously.  I decided not to mention it to Draco, it was probably nothing more than, "One day we are going to get her," They were going to be in for a long wait.

"So no more being in your head then?" Draco asked for the umpteenth time.

"No more being in my head," I repeated.  We lay stretched out atop my bed, arms around each other.  Draco was letting his fingers slide teasingly up and down my spine, sending shivers along it.

"Pansy," he said, "You know we have been together for some time now?"

I nodded; completely mute to what I thought he was about to say.

"And how we are going to spend the rest of our lives together?"

I nodded again.

"Well I want you to sleep with me."

So like a Malfoy, I want.

"There's nothing I want more," I replied, entangling my hand in his blonde locks.  He rolled on top of me, catching my lips with his own.  One hand slipped under my school shirt, brushing up the tender flesh until it reached my breast.  He brushed over it, the barest of touches.  But it drew a moan from my lips.  His hand slid back out from under the shirt and his fingers hurriedly reached to undo the buttons whilst his lips hurriedly tried to devour my neck.

The shirt unbuttoned I arched upwards as he pulled it from around me.  Kissing passionately we crashed back down onto the bed.  His hands slid round to my back, hastily unclasping my bra.  I slipped it off as his lips traced their way from my neckline down toward that tender, newly revealed flesh.  He cupped one in his hands and his lips were reaching toward it when the door flew open.

He shot round to face it as I scrabbled for my school shirt but we both froze in shock.

Potter and Granger came crashing through the door.

To shocked to react Draco was knocked to the floor as Potter dived for him.  I dived toward my wand on the bedside cabinet but Granger shouted, "Petrificulus Totalus" with so much satisfaction in her voice I wanted to punch her.  But there was nothing even I could do in this state without my wand.

"Get your filthy Mudblood hands away from her Granger," I could hear Draco shouting.  I couldn't see him however.  Granger meanwhile tried to hoist me off the bed but even my slim figure was turned into a deadpan weight with this curse.

"I can't lift her," she moaned.  Rolling me over I spied Draco.  He was struggling like mad to try and free himself from creeper-like vines, which had worked themselves up the far wall.  If I could have I would have screamed the counter curse at him, it didn't even require a wand.

"Pansy," he roared, "Keep away from her Potter.  If you touch any part of her, I swear I'll kill you and every person even distantly related to you."

Harry said nothing but noting that there was no way Draco could escape he crossed toward me.  I noted with satisfaction that when he realised I was naked from the waist upward a blush crept onto his cheeks.

"Could we, um, cover her up do you think Hermione?" he asked, manfully averting his eyes.

"Yeah I suppose we should," she replied.  Grabbing a spare blanket from the end of my bed she slung it over me.  I suddenly wondered why none of the other Slytherins had come to investigate the source of the noise.

This seemed to have crossed Draco's mind as well as he began to shout, "Help Slytherins help.  Potter and the Mudblood have entered our common room.  Did you hear that?  A Mudblood in our common room."

"It's no use Malfoy," Potter said, "We placed a silencing charm on the room,"

Draco did indeed fall silent.

"Come on Harry, hurry up," Granger whispered nervously.

"Potter when I get out of here I will kill you," Draco hissed.  But his eyes were on mine.

Potter grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me upward.

"I love you Pansy," was the shout that carried me out of the common room.

Through the school they ran, not taking nearly as many of the secret passageways as I would have when walking the school at night.  Then again they were Gryffindors.  They didn't have a sneaky bone in their body.  Or did they?

This is what they must have been planning after dinner.  This little kidnap.  Well when that Mudblood took this curse off me she was going to get a nice surprise.  And when Draco got free there would be hell to pay.

We stopped outside of the Fat Lady; the portrait I had discovered hid the opening to the Gryffindor common room in my first year.  Hey did I not say I am a terrific spy?

Anyways with great difficultly they finally managed to get me through the portrait hole and into the actual common room, a horribly cheerful place full of mismatched furniture.  If I could have shuddered I would have.

Anyway we carried on right up into what I must assume was the boys dormitories.  Granger went round and charmed the other boys and then Potter kicked upon a trunk at the end of what could only have been his bed, and dropped me into it.

Yes he dropped me into it.

A magically enhanced trunk so large that the inside was actually a cave.  I landed with a loud thud.  Potter dropped down lightly beside me and pulled a pouch out of his pocket.  Opening it he pulled out a glimmering purple stone.  I willed my body to move back but it couldn't.  His hand slowly reached out, my eyes on it all the time, and rested in front of my forehead.  The next minute the stone was no longer between his fingers but embedded in my head.

"Hermione take it off her now,"

Heres my chance.  I fell suddenly limp and had to lie there for a full minute before I regained my senses.  Then shrieking I tore toward Granger.  She was taken aback and didn't move in time.  I slammed into her, the force sending her to the ground with me on top.  I got in a few good punches before I felt Harry's arms around my waist.  Sinking my hands into her bushy mop I grasped hold of it tightly.  Granger screamed as Harry tugged at me and I in turn ripped at her hair.  The next minute there was only air below me and I was holding two huge clumps of brown hair.  I threw them at Granger in disgust.  She was curled into a ball on the floor, sobbing away.

Harry placed me feet on the floor.  Oh how I longed to fling all those horrific dark curses I knew at him.  But I couldn't.  That stone in my forehead stops all magic.

Well maybe not all.  I still had the connection with my Master.

"What on earth do you think you're up to Potter?" I span on my heels to face him.  God when did he grow?  I practically have to bend backward to look into his eyes.  "How dare you touch me."

"You killed Ron," he stated simply, but he blushed and pushed the blanket toward me"Now you're going to pay.  You're going to help us for awhile."

"You think I'm going to help you?" I scoffed.

"If you don't we'll kill you," Granger spat, dragging herself to her feet.  Oh she was going to have a good black eye tomorrow morning.

I rolled my eyes, "You wouldn't dare,"

"Try me," she said, her voice deadly low, "You killed my best friend and my one true love.  I wouldn't hesitate."

"Oh boohoo" I shot back.

She smirked however.  Now that worried me.

"You'll know how it feels soon" she replied, still smirking.

"You lay one hand on Draco and I swear I will turn you inside out and keep you as a statue," I spat.  I was slightly panicked now.

"Hit a nerve?" she said, "Don't worry Parkinson.  It won't be us that does the killing."

"What do you mean?" I said narrowing my eyes.  Potter however decided to intervene.

"Come on Hermione," he said, "It's late and we have classes tomorrow."

She signed and floated off toward the light that was the common room.  Harry followed her.  I waited until darkness surrounded me before I sank to my knees.  You never show weakness in front of the enemy.

But anyway I had the Dark Lord.  He would send help or notify Draco.

"Master," I thought, "Master I need help.  Please Master reply"

But I felt as if it was falling on deaf ears.  That part of brain that remained fuzzy wasn't there.  I started to get a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"Master," I called, panicking, "Master.  MASTER?"

I began to bang my hands against the hard floor, as tears began to fall.  I hit them harder and harder, until deep pools of blood surrounded me.  Then finally I sank downwards, the dark enveloping me.

Minutes away in the Slytherin common room Draco was being placated by Professor Snape and Blaise.  An owl flew into the room through the chute that led to the Slytherin common room from the owlery.

It dropped the letter on Draco's head and flew quickly away.  Luckily for itself since Draco shot round with a murderous look in his eye.  He picked up the letter and ripped it open quickly.

His hand went limp and the letter floated down onto the floor.

The Dark Lord had cut the connection, moments before Potter and Granger had burst upon the scene.  Pansy now had no way to contact them.


	4. Unusual Feelings

Disclaimer – Everything you recognise, belongs not to me, but the talented JK.  Anything else is more than likely mine.

_Authors Note – Another Pansy Draco story, our favourite couple.  This is going to get quite dark and our three favourite main characters are going to be shown in quite a different light._

_To my wonderful reviewers, thank you for your comments.  I'm glad you like the story and there is plenty more to come.  Don't think I'll be letting our two favourite characters off the hook anytime soon._

_Lara Croft Pansy.  Oh the funniness._

_Sorry this is shorter than the other chapters.  I'll give you an extra-specially long Chapter Five._

_Crudelis Ferreus_

Chapter Four – Unusual Feelings 

"Potter when I get out of here I'm going to rip your enormous head off and mail it up your bloody arse," I shouted hoarsely toward where I imagined the ceiling to be.  As of yet no actual light source had been thrown down to me so I couldn't see my bloody hand in front of my bloody face.  At what I imagined to be the morning an oversized shirt that I suspected to be Grangers floated down on top of my head and at what I assumed was lunch a buttered roll hit my stomach.

As you can guess I did not touch the shirt.  Fancy thinking I would wear something of that Mudbloods.

"Potter let me out of here now," I scream uselessly.  I was hoping that perhaps one of his roommates, that Irish one or even that idiot Mudblood would hear me and confront Potter.  They were Gryffindors for fucks sake!  You expect us Slytherins to be sneaky and mean but not the bloody Gryffindors.

As you can see I've resorted to some rather strong, and un-ladylike, language.  But I think even my Mother would allow it in the circumstances.

The circumstances.  I am trapped in a dank, smelly hellhole with only Potter and Granger to talk to and no way to get out.  How I wished for my connection with my Master now.  But it had gone-he had cut it.  I could tell.  He would never ignore me like this.

"Potter when Draco finds out about-"

Light suddenly fills the cave.  The next minute Potter is crouched next to me.

"You don't look to so good," I said gleefully.  To be honest that was an understatement.  He boasted two glowering black eyes, a gash across his head, a swollen and cut lip and I was happily imagining the bruised state of the rest of his body.

"Draco caught up with you then?" I said, "It looks as if he forget he owned a wand."

Potter nodded.

"And it looks as if you came off worse."

Potter nodded again.

"Well it'll teach you to not-"

"Shut up Parkinson" Grangers voice spat.  I rolled my eyes.

"You again, how pleasing."

"We've got our first mission for you," she said shortly.

"How the fucking hell do you expect me to go on a mission for you when I have no equipment, no wand, no clothes-"

"I brought you a shirt," Potter interrupted quietly.

"It was hers," I spat, looking directly at Granger.  For once she didn't squirm under my gaze.  I think losing Ron hardened her.

Potter sighed and the next minute was unbuttoning his own shirt.  I pulled my blanket, my reminder of Draco-it smelt so strongly of him, expensive cologne mixed with soap, closer to myself as Potter walked over.  Bending he draped the crisp school shirt over my shoulders.  I was too shocked to let my mouth form the sarcastic words that were bubbling inside me.  I slid my arms into it and slowly began fasten the buttons.  There was something comforting about wearing his shirt, comfort I couldn't resist.  He gasped suddenly as he caught sight of my still throbbing hands.  Dried blood caked them and the skin was torn and ripped.  He looked around and quickly spotted the pool of blood I had left last night.

Bending so he was level with me he took hold of my hands in his own gentle ones.  Waving his wand over them he muttered a healing spell.  Before my own eyes the skin knitted together again and the blood disappeared.  It reminded me so much of that day when Draco had healed my stomach.  I choked back tears.  Never show weakness.

Potter had shocked me into a complete silence.  No one except Draco had ever willingly cared for me, looked after me like this.  Of course my parents had but where I came from, Death Eaters and Slytherin, one looked out for oneself.  You couldn't really trust anyone, whatever The Dark Lord said.

Blaise would feign caring because he wanted me but he would never give me the shirt off his back if I had none.  Unlike Draco, no Death Eater would lie to The Dark Lord to stop him raping me; as long as it wasn't them it was ok.  You see that day when Draco walked in on The Dark Lord and I his Father didn't really want to speak with our Master.  Draco lied to get him away from me.  Had a difficult time covering it up to.

And now here goes Potter giving me the shirt off his back and healing my, his enemies, hands without a single word.  And he had saved my life.  I had murdered his best friend and he had saved me.  He was meant to despise me, and I him.  Yet here he was, caring, being nice.

Wearily almost Potter stood up.  "I'll bring you something to eat later," he said, floating upward, black hair flying about his head.  I stared daggers at him.  I had been conditioned to hate him yet here he was staggeringly reminding me of Draco.  Strong similarities between them stood out so much.  If they weren't divided by the war, could they have been friends?

Potter came back after dinner with the promised food, some books (all novels) and my homework.  I had recovered my sarcastic tone of voice thank the Dark Lord.

"Homework Potter?" I exclaimed, "Homework?  You think I'm going to do homework when you've got me cooped up in here against my will?"

He looked mortified and for some reason I felt more kindly toward him, "I just thought you might want to, you know, keep up with your studies while you're here," he said.

I nodded and said kindly, yes kindly, "Someone like me mastered the basics years ago Potter"

He half-smiled and sat next to me.  "You really love Draco don't you?" It came out of nowhere.

I surprised myself by nodding.

"He really loves you too.  He kicked the, um, shit" (it sounded so wrong him swearing in that quiet, kind voice) "out of me before.  He was really angry."

"Well you would be wouldn't you if Draco and I had made off with Granger in the middle of the night?" I replied.  He looked thoughtful but didn't reply.

"Why do you hate her so much?"

My mouth curved into a grimace, "Because she is everything I have been taught to despise."

"That's it though" he said earnestly, "You've been taught to.  Not you want to, not you decided for yourself, but you've been taught.  Have you ever sat down and seriously considered both sides of the story?"

I never had.  "No I haven't" I replied cautiously, "But I don't need to.  Mudbloods pollute our blood, turning it weaker and weaker.  We might have married into them because we were dying out, but slowly they are going to kill us anyway."

His eyes clouded over and he stared at the floor, "But Hermione.  She's a Muggle.  And look how powerful she is."

"She studies Potter.  Studies hard because she understands the truth.  If she can make herself powerful enough then she thinks she might be able to pass more powerful genes on, Potter.  She might be able to prove my belief wrong.  But it's impossible.  The only way to save our race is to outlaw the Mudbloods."

"But what about Lord Voldemort,"

I shudder.  How dare Potter of all people utter his name.  But I don't retaliate, seems we are getting along pretty well, Potter and I.  You see I don't really despise Potter you know.  I should because he was the downfall of my Master.  But I don't.  Partly because it was Masters fault anyway and partly because if Harry wasn't on the side of good and me on the side of bad, we would have been the same, possibly friends.  But I think you might have picked up on that fact somewhere along the line.  I am an almost normal girl you know.

So I'm conceited, superior, snobbish, over-confident, evil, bitchy, vain, selfish, supercilious, arrogant, haughty, disdainful and mean but hey, isn't everyone at some time?  Nothings ever black and white you know.  There are always shades of grey.

"The Dark Lord studied Potter.  Much like Granger.  Dumbledore is the only truly living example of a fully powerful, pureblooded wizard."

"But he could go about it so differently.  There is no need for all these people to die."

It is my turn to nod and agree, "I know.  But the needless deaths draw attention to our cause and one day perhaps might help it become fully-acknowledged."

"You know why he tried to kill me don't you?" Potter said almost matter-of-factly.

"Yes and you don't want to," I replied.  In truth he didn't, it might make him feel worthless.  And in contradiction to all those comments I had made through the years, he wasn't.

He nodded and stood up.  His movements were tired; his gaze acceptant, as if this had happened to him all his life.  It probably had.  I mean who would want to tell him he'd only been created to fight The Dark Lord?  Who'd want to tell him that he would die once the Dark Lord had been defeated in the battle that would save all wizards and condemn all Mudbloods and Muggles?  Even Harry wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Anything else you need before I go?" he asked, not looking at me.

"Another blanket," I demanded, "And perhaps some light?"

He nodded and floated on up out of my prison.  A few moments later he floated back down, handed me a blanket and lantern silently and then floated back up.

I think we'd both given the other a lot to dwell on that night.

It was Granger who woke me that night.  Silently she made her way toward me and silently she held out her wand.  I jumped up, dived toward her but crashed headlong into a wave of energy, pulsating from her wand.  I was up as quickly as I had fallen, my training kicking in, but no sooner was I up than this wave of power threw me back down again.  She moved toward above me, and smiling manically bound my hands and legs with rope.  She encircled my body teasingly, choosing her placed to strike.

She chose a swift kick to the stomach, not enough to make me cry out in pain but enough to make me double over.  Don't forget I've had torture training in both magical and non-magical ways.  Running over me with one of those Muggle contraptions, lorries I think there called, wouldn't get me to spill any beans.

But following it was another and then another.  Then she grabbed at my hair, pulling chunks of my long, beautiful silky hair, my crowning glory out.  I tried to bite her, to get at her wrists but I couldn't reach.  This was the moment I felt like crying, the moment as she lay out all those huge clumps of my perfect hair in front of me.

Then she kicked me again, this time aiming for my throat, aiming to kill.  But I rolled away and rolled clumsily to my feet.  I had to get in at least one hit.  I jumped up and down on the spot, pretending I was trying to keep my balance.  One more step and there.  I bounced upward, kicking my legs toward her.  My feet hit her in the chest and she went sprawling across the room as I landed hard on my back.  The wind knocked out of me I could only wait for her next blow.  It never came.

When I finally looked up, she had gone.

Potter didn't come to untie me until after lunch.  I nearly went for his throat but he'd actually listened to my pleas for no more buttered rolls and brought me fruit, two apples, two oranges and some slices of melon.

"Thanks," I said, snatching the food off him.

"Sorry," he muttered, "I never thought she would do something like this," he eyed a clump of hair on the ground.  "What happened?"

"Well she came in and we had a picnic and traded girly secrets," I said sarcastically.

"Yeah that's exactly what it looks like," he replied.

"Bravo with the sarcasm Potter!" I thought.

"She woke me up, used some nifty power shield thing on me so I couldn't get at her, tied me up, tried to beat the crap out of me, pulled all my hair out," (my voice fell at that last one) "kicked me again, tried to kill me then ran off when I beat her down"

"You gave her a pretty good beating for someone tied up," he commented, "Her chests all bruised."

"Why have you been looking at her chest?" I said suggestively, raising an eyebrow.  He blushed crimson.

"Got a thing for her have you?  You two getting down and dirty?" I grinned at the scandalised look on his face, "Aw don't worry about it Potter.  You had to get down and dirty with someone at some time.  People will start talking"

"You killed the only girl I ever wanted to get 'down and dirty' with." he replied emotionlessly.  There was an uncomfortable silence.  For once I didn't have a witty comeback.

"I didn't mean to," I replied.

"I bet you'll say that about Ron too."

"It was him or me, Potter.  Him or me."

"And did the best man win?" he said acidly.  I was surprised at the sudden outburst of emotion.

"What do you think?" I replied.

"Oh I think the best man won," he replied angrily, "The best one at lying and cheating and murder, and the kindest, most loyal and decent man lost.  So what do you think?"

With that he angrily pulled himself to his feet and drifted off toward the ceiling.  My eyes followed him and I winced when he slammed the trunk lid shut.

I didn't feel bad, I didn't.

What the hell had Potter done to me?  In a day he had actually forced me to feel remorse.  Remorse for the people I had murdered.  Not the nameless guards that had always fell to my Cruciatus Curse, but the Cho Changs, Ron Weasleys and Ginny Weasleys, the people I had known.

And startlingly I suddenly saw it as if it was staring me in the face.  I wanted to be normal.  I didn't want to fight for The Dark Lord.  Equally I didn't want to fight for Dumbledore and Potter either.  I wanted to be me, to get married to Draco, to have children, to have a normal job.

And as much as I loved spying, it wasn't what I wanted anymore.

Authors Second Note – I would really appreciate reviews for this chapter, as I'm not sure I like it.  I've posted it anyway but I'm just not sure about it.  Please review thanks!


	5. Second Fiddle

Disclaimer – Everything you recognise, belongs not to me, but the talented JK.  Anything else is more than likely mine.

_Authors Note – Another Pansy Draco story, our favourite couple.  This is going to get quite dark and our three favourite main characters are going to be shown in quite a different light._

_Crudelis Ferreus_

_Chapter Five – Second Fiddle_

"What do you want me to do?" I asked Potter quietly.  He looked back at Granger but I refused to take orders from her.

"No Potter, I want it from you,"

He looked shocked but he recovered in seconds.

"We want you to steal back that crystal Pansy," he said quietly, his words uncertain.

"Then you've got another thing coming haven't you?" I shot back.  "You can't force me…" my words faltered.  I knew they could and that superior smirk on Grangers face made me want to dive at her again and risk death to curse her into a million disgusting pieces.  I grabbed at the stone on my forehead but it was no use.  There was no way to pull it off.

"Of course we can, Pansy," she spat my name out as if it burnt her mouth.  "We have been perfecting the Imperious Curse since Ron…" it was her turn to falter.  So Ron was her weak point.

Didn't I say you never reveal your weakness to the enemy?

She recovered quickly, "You have two days to prepare yourself.  Not that you need to because it'll be us doing the driving, we just need your knowledge."

I gave her a murderous look.  "I won't."

"Oh you will," she replied, turning on her heel and floating off.

Potter stayed by my side however.

"What happened to her?" I asked, slightly confused by her sudden bitterness.  I had never seen this in Granger before, even after all the teasing I had put her through.

"You killed the man she loved," he replied emotionlessly.

"What are you going to do?  Keep me a prisoner in this trunk for the rest of my life then?  What happened to the great Gryffindor quality of forgiveness?"

"If it was the other way round and one of us killed Draco you wouldn't forgive," he shot back.

"No I wouldn't but I wouldn't be this cruel either.  I'd get it over with quick and easy.  Either that or I would just ignore you for the rest of my life."

That was a true statement, even if it didn't sound like one.  If Potter had murdered Draco I would probably have killed him outright, not tortured both him and his friends with this kidnapping lark.  The not knowing what had become of them.  Although death was probably torture as well.  It was what Ron's death seemed to be doing to Hermione.

Potter sighed, "I hate this as much as you do," he replied, "I hate lying to the Headmaster, I hate keeping you cooped up here, I hate the comments Draco makes everyday.  Before it was just fun, a chance to release some tension, to be mean for once.  But now I know I deserve his comments and I can't retaliate."

"Let me go then,"

"I can't, Hermione."

"Hermione what?"

He was startled.  It was the first time I had ever said her name in front of him.  In fact it was the first time I had ever said her name in front of anyone.

"I want to Pansy but I can't.  She needs this to move on."

"Please Harry," he couldn't meet my earnest gaze.  "If you remove the stone and break it you could say it failed, sometimes they do.  Weak stones have cracks that can be manipulated."

He shook his head, "We bought the most powerful stone we could find.  There were no imperfections.  And anyway once we have that crystal back we're letting you go."

"Then I'll die anyway." I said, my voice monotonous.

"What do you mean?" he said, turning to look at me.  I kept my eyes forward as I spoke.

"They won't believe I was forced into it, they'll think I wanted the stone for myself.  I'll be killed, tortured-" I stopped.  I had seen it happen before.  The looks on the faces of my fellow Death Eaters as they had placed curse after curse on that poor girl, ripped at her, tore her flesh away with their bare hands.  I support my Master, well at least I think I do, but I've never supported that.  All the girl did was pick up the wrong ingredient for a potion.  They thought she was trying to poison our Master.  She had no chance to explain, not that they would have believed her anyway.  They wanted blood and blood was what they got.

I must have gone green because Potter looked at me worriedly and said, "Do you need me to get you a bucket?"

I tried to quell the feeling inside me.  I was not going to throw-up in front of him.  With great difficulty I managed to open my mouth and spit out the words, "No, fine" before clamping it shut again.

He shrugged, "Kay, then but you don't look to good.  Anything else you need for the night?"

I shook my head, hands gripping my stomach as if it would keep down the threatening sick.

"See you tomorrow then," he departed with a wave over his shoulder.

Once he was out of sight I ran into a corner of the cave, throat already burning with the effort of keeping it down.  I had barely opened my mouth before I was retching; even my tears burnt my face.

"So I'll go over this once more, Parkinson.  You walk in there as if you've escaped, wand in hand.  Make sure you look a little confused, unsure.  Say you need to rest.  Don't, under any circumstances, ask for Draco."

"Why can't she?" I heard Harry's voice ask.

"If he sees her he might be able to tell she's being controlled."

"Oh," Harry looked disbelieving.

"Then once you're alone, I want you to get that crystal.  If anyone asks what you're doing, you're looking for Draco, or a drink.  Don't draw to much attention to yourself.  We want you in and out.  And under no circumstances do you leave without that crystal."

I felt my head nod from somewhere far, far away in my head.  So this is what it felt like to be under the Imperious Curse, I never actually had.  It was as if a fuzzy wall was trapping my mind in the back of my head.  I could feel myself stand up, yet I wasn't controlling my body.

There was only one way to describe this, I was in my head, but someone else was controlling my body.

I had felt Harry remove the stone from my head, but I couldn't push my mind out and perform a spell, Granger controlled that.  As she controlled my movements.

Now I vaguely felt my feet leave the floor as I floated out of my prison, felt the jerking landing in the dormitory.  It was night; I could hear the steady breathing of the Gryffindor idiots in their four-posters.

Harry landed beside me.  "Let's get you out of here," he said.  I felt the pressure of a hand on mine, vaguely felt the jerk below my navel that symbolised a portkey journey, and then I was standing in the grounds of Malfoy Manor, The Dark Lords Lair.

"I'll be here when you need to come back," he said before disappearing.

My body began to walk toward the Manor, stumbling as if in a daze.  I began to try and force down the walls around my mind, tried to push out of the second prison they had put me in, but Grangers spell was too strong.  I fought all the way up to the grand doors of the Manor, causing stumbling and more than often my body to stop whilst it decided just whom it was obeying.

My arm reached out and knocked on the ornate gold knocker, shaped like a dragons head.  A Horntail if I wasn't mistaken.  That probably didn't please Draco, Potters victory over the dragon in the tournament taunting him even at home.  I remembered so well Draco's anger after Potter had won; he had been so sure Potter would have his head bitten off by the beast.  It had taken hours to placate him.

I felt my mouth smile at this memory.  Under my control.  I fought suddenly; my mind was returning to me, the barriers were falling, the fuzziness gone.  I was winning.  But just as I thought I was going to gain control the door swung open, distracting me.

"Pansy?" came Lucius's shocked tone.  I tried to smile but I had lost control of my mouth.  Lucius never sounded anything but totally calm and collected.  His expression was always calm, yet at the sight of me on his doorstep he looked completely taken-aback.  He recovered himself quickly though,

"Pansy do come in child.  What happened?  We have been most distressed, Draco especially.  Your Mother and Narcissa have not been themselves.  How did you manage to get away?  Draco informed us that Gryffindor's" he spat the word out, "Were in league with Dumbledore and there was no way to get to you,"

He looked around and then bent closer to me, whispering in a conspirital tone, "Draco is here this evening.  My Lord called an emergency meeting-he wants you found immediately.  Your rather important to him Pansy I must say.  His anger has known no bounds since you were taken,"

"What where they going to do this evening?" I listened to myself say, stepping into the warm light of the Manor.

"They were going to find Potter and the Mudblood and persuade them to inform us of your whereabouts."

I tried forcefully to laugh, smile, anything.  If Granger didn't play this right she'd get me killed.

Thankfully my lips curved into a smirk.

"Come, come," said Lucius, offering his arm, "You must join the meeting at once.  Draco will be so glad you have returned, as will we all.  We should get preparations for a revel started at once,"

I felt myself shaking my head as he clapped for a house elf and began issuing orders.

"Now that is completed, we shall go and show you off."

"No, Mr Malfoy.  If you wouldn't mind I would much rather lie down for a few moments.  It was extremely draining getting away from Potter and Granger.  They had me tied down with some pretty strong spells, nothing they've learnt at Hogwarts.  I would much rather return in perhaps half an hour refreshed and ready to tell my story,"

I do not bloody talk like that.  Stupid girl, she's making me sound all nice.  Ladylike and scornful.  That's what it should be like.  Honestly.

"Of course, of course.  I didn't think.  Elf," he roared.  The pitiful little thing scampered up to us, head bowed.

"Take Miss Parkinson to the guest room in Draco's wing.  Have a bath drawn up for her at once and send some food and wine to her room.  Attend to her every need, whatever she wants she gets,"

The Elf nodded, "Follow me please Miss Parkinson," its squeaky voice piped up as it began to climb the marble stairs.

"Thank you Mr Malfoy, I shall be no longer than necessary," I bowed my head to him.

"Take as long as you need.  I shall need to prepare for the coming celebrations," and he swept off down a corridor, black cloak billowing around him.

The elf led me through many grand passageways, down long, dimly lit marble halls and brightly lit, well-used ones.  It stopped outside an oak door and bowed,

"You quarters," it squeaked, "I'll have a bath drawn up at once,"

"Follow me in first," I snapped.  Good Granger was snapping.  Definitely the way to address those lowly vermin.

I strode into the room, taking in its intricate, exquisite beauty.  Rich forest greens and shimmering silvers covered every surface, every wall.  As it always was in Draco's wing.  I ran my hand over the surface of a cool silver candlestick, one of those larger one's.  It fit perfectly in the curve of my fist.

"I will need some clothing, grand enough for the occasion," I was saying, "Shoes of course.  I also wish for a cloak to be brought immediately and-"

I swung round, candlestick in hand.  The elf squealed in fright, it was used to beatings but never someone turning on them with a candlestick for no apparent reason.  I aimed a cracking blow to its head, sending the thing flying across the room and into a wall.  It slid down, its head completely smashed open, blood and brains seeping across the floor.

Draco is going to kill me.  This was his favourite guest room.  He always entertained in here.  Now its covered in House Elf brains.

Feeling decidedly ill I walked into the adjoining bathroom and quickly scrubbed my hands.  I think that was the Granger in me.  I'd clubbed worse things to death.  Giant blood is so hard to get out of your clothing you know.

Now it was time for the fun.

_"Where will it be?"_ Grangers voice whispered in my head.

_"Why are you whispering?"_ I thought back.

_"Hermione, you didn't have to kill it,"_ I could hear Harry's voice say weakly.

_"It wasn't my fault,"_ she shot back.  Her own voice seemed weak, her throat dry, _"I was only going to stun it but Pansy was stronger than I expected,"_

_"Cheeky bitch.  Thought I was a weak little child did you?"_ I thought back.  She ignored me.

_"Where will the crystal be, Parkinson?"_ she said back.

_"I'm getting annoyed with all these voices in my head,"_ I replied nonchalantly.

_"Shut up or I'll curse you,"_ she shot back.

_"How the bloody hell-"_ I wanted to shriek but couldn't.  I thought about screaming; as something began to pull at my mind, tear at my thoughts.  My body remained as it was, no sign of the battle beginning in my mind.

_"How did you do that?"_ I panted in my head.

_"Wouldn't you like to know?"_ replied her chirpy voice, _"Well if you won't tell us we'll just have to make your body guide us,"_

_"Of course I wasn't going to tell you,"_ I grumble.  But it was no use anyway.  My body began to move, down those corridors it had trodden so many times, automatically it took us straight to his lair.

I tried so hard to break through the barriers, to take control of myself as I stared upon those ornate metal doors that signified the entrance to the Dark Lord's wing.  My mind fought, but Granger was laughing.

_"Get out of my head,"_ I hissed.

"No" she replied, giggling. 

I tried to pull that hand away, but it reached up and pushed open the door.  I tried to throw myself to the ground, tried to freeze the movements of my legs as they crossed the threshold, walked down the hallway.

_"Now which door is it?" _Potter hissed.

_"I said get out,"_ I roared.

My body turned towards My Lords private chamber.  This was where the stone would be.

"No.  It's not there, it's…" I screamed frantically. 

_"Oh Pansy shut up,"_ Granger replied breathlessly.

I wanted to cut my own hand off to stop it touching that door, to stop it pushing it open.  As my body stepped forward, my mind pulled back.  But it was no use.  I stepped into the dark chamber, my mind screaming an unearthly howl.

"There…" gasped Granger. 

It stood, bathing in its own glow of pale yellow light.

_"No…you can't make me do this…" _I whispered.

I walked toward the crystal, my mind instinctively checking it for curses.  Of course he wouldn't leave it unprotected.  Without the use of my wand though it was impossible for me to know what was on it, probably a curse that let none but my Master touch it.

My hand reached out to the glowing crystal, I could see the aura of a curse, a blue mixed in with the yellow.

_"Stop!"_ I screamed, _"It's cursed,"_

But it was to late.  I vaguely felt my arm go heavy, the weight making my body career to the right.  My head turned and my mind let out a shocked squeak.  My arm, the arm that should have been flesh and bone, was made of a very crumbly stone.  Before my very eyes it began to chip and fall away, the crystal falling from my non-existent hand to fall into the sand-like pile forming on the floor.

_"Oh God," _I heard Harry murmur.

_"Oh God?  Oh God?"_ I shrieked.

_"Pick up that bloody crystal,"_ Granger shrieked back.

_"With what?  My foot?  If you haven't just realised, my whole arm turned to sand and fell off,"_

_"Well actually its sandstone Parkinson and-"_

"I don't care what bloody stone it is, I have no bloody arm!" 

The door creaked.  My body shot round, my mind still with the pile of sand that had once been my arm.

_"Oh God…"_ I whispered when I saw the occupant of the doorway.

_"Shit,"_ said Granger.

The sudden rush of emotions and love knocked her completely out of my head.

"Draco," I screamed, throwing myself toward the doorway and him.  I threw myself onto, smashing into him so hard he stumbled a few paces before scooping me up into his arms.

"Pansy," he said, words muffled into my hair.

"God Draco I've missed you so much,"

"Pansy what have they done to you?"

He placed my feet back onto the floor, his eyes running over my minute frame, "God Pansy they've been starving you worse than you…" his face paled dramatically then turned a nasty shade of green, "Pansy…your arm?"

I let out a cross between a sob and a shriek.  Granger was back.

_"We've got to get control of her,"_ she shrieked in my head.

"Get out of my head," I screamed, pushing away from Draco.

"Pansy what's wrong?  Who's in your head?  What's…?" realisation must have dawned.

"Get out now," he said, voice like steel.  He grabbed my arm, yanked me toward the door.  "We have to get you out of here, fast.  If they have Impervious Cursed you we can get it lifted.

I let myself by dragged, nodding my head, "Draco I didn't want to,"

"I know," he whispered, "I know,"

I stopped suddenly.  He tried to pull me forward.  Granger was back.  My arm was yanked out of Draco's grip.  He looked confused.

"Pansy?"

I looked up into his eyes, "I'm sorry for anything I do Draco,"

And then I was locked away again.

_"Draco, Draco,"_ I screamed, locked in my mind.

I watched as my wand levelled with his chest.

_"Granger no.  If you dare I'll kill you with my bare hands,"_ I screamed, fighting her bonds, her barriers.

_"Avada,"_ she began to scream, my own voice, yet not mine, reciting the words at the same time, _"Ked-"_

_"No,"_ Harry this time.  I heard Granger squeal.

_"Stupefy,"_ Harry and I roared at the same time.  Draco slumped backwards, hitting the wall and then the floor.

_"Draco, Draco I'm so sorry," _I pleaded with his frozen body.

"Get that bloody crystal," 

The body ran back to the chamber, stopping next to the crystal, while the mind stayed in that corridor, stayed in the arms of Draco.

"How are we going to-" 

_"Huad Cilicis,"_ I replied, the words monotonous.

The voice that was but wasn't mine incanted the counter-curse and the arm that was but wasn't mine picked up the crystal.  This time however, I kept my arm.

"Get her out of there now Harry, there's no time to go back outside," 

The form of Harry Potter appeared in front of me, his gentle arms around me, and within seconds I was back in my prison, my cave.

Granger took the crystal from my hand as Harry placed the purple stone back into my forehead.  Suddenly the barriers broke down again, I was in full control of myself.  I looked at Granger, malice shining in my eyes.

"You bitch," I spat, "You were going to kill him to torture me,"

Harry conveniently edged his body into the space between ours.

"Now you know what it feels like," she spat back, eyes dancing with an equal malice to mine.

"At least I didn't force you to kill the man you loved," I shot back.

"At least the man you love is still alive,"

I saw Harry flinch slightly at that comment.

"Your new…" I couldn't, I faltered.  I couldn't hurt Harry like that for some reason.

"Nothing to say Parkinson?  No comment to make?  Perhaps you've finally realised you've always been wrong,"

I wasn't even looking at her-I hardly heard her words.  I was watching Harry.  He knew what I would have said, what I still wanted to say, and he was grateful.  Grateful I hadn't.

Granger, clearly not understanding, for once, what was going on in the look between us, stalked off and floated upwards.

"You'd rather she didn't know how you felt?  How much you care for her?" I whispered, my eyes not leaving his.

"I'm not Ron.  If he wasn't gone, she wouldn't want me,"

"And you're prepared to play second fiddle to a dead man for the rest of your life?"

That's when he dropped his eyes, turned away.

"I don't know…"


	6. Burning Emeralds

Disclaimer – Everything you recognise, belongs not to me, but the talented JK.  Anything else is more than likely mine.

_Authors Note – Another Pansy Draco story, our favourite couple.  This is going to get quite dark and our three favourite main characters are going to be shown in quite a different light._

**_Warning – Very dark chapter ahead, which contains non-consensual groping/sex._**

****

_Crudelis Ferreus_

_Chapter Six – Burning Emeralds_

"Does it hurt?" he asked, hands hovering just above the stump that was once my arm.

"Surprisingly no," I answered, "Its numb, extremely numb.  And rather ugly I m-m-might ad-d"

I couldn't contain the sob that escaped.  I averted my gaze, stared at the cave floor, trying to steady the flow of tears.  I found arms snaking around my shoulders, pulling me into a gentle embrace.  I let them-I needed to be held.

"I want my arm back," I whispered into his chest.

"Hermione's in the library, looking for something we could use," he whispered into my hair.

"And you think I'm going to trust either of you two?"

He gave a choked laugh, "I don't suppose you are, are you?"

I shook my head, pulling away to look up at him.

"I don't know whether we should bandage it or not," he said, pulling away completely, "I mean its not bleeding, its not infected-"

I look down at my shoulder.  There was just a stump sticking out, skin already enclosed over where my arm should have started.

"I don't think it needs one," I reply.

"Is it tender though?  Does it hurt to touch?"

"I don't know," I replied.  I reached a trembling hand out towards it but yanked it away.  The thought of feeling that pink, putty-looking stump made me feel sick.

"You do it?" I asked.

Harry reached his own hand out and gently rested it on the stump.  His hand betrayed no emotion but his face was set, and wary at the same time.

"Hurt?"

I shook my head.

"I think you're alright then."

"Alright?  Potter I have one arm.  I am not alright."

He dropped his gaze, "It's our fault.  If we had listened to you we could have averted this.  But we were stupid, we got too carried away…"

I made an indignant snort, "You can say that again."

"I'll keep saying it for the rest of my life until you forgive me," he said sincerely.

"I'll forgive you when I get my arm back," I answered.

"Thought as much.  We will get it back you know.  We will find a way."

"You better bloody had because when Draco sees this your dead."

"If Draco sees it," Grangers voice spat from the shadows.

"How long have you been there?" I spat back.

"Long enough," was the harsh reply, "There was nothing," she said shortly.

I gave Harry a look but he didn't return it.  He just gazed at Granger.

"Did you even look?" I asked. 

"Of course I did," she replied in a tone that suggested the complete opposite.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I replied sarcastically.

"Of course she did Pansy.  We'll just have to try something else." Harry butted in.

"Yes Pansy.  There are hundreds of books in the library, it could take years to find the right counter-curse," she said, her tone gleeful.

"It could," Harry chipped in.

I threw him a murderous look.

"This came for you.  I found it on your bed," Granger said, holding out a golden parchment envelope to Harry.  He stared at it like it was on fire and snatched it from her, tearing it open and ripping out the letter.

"Its tonight," he said blandly.

"What's tonight?" I inquired.

"Tonight?  But we're not ready." Granger squeaked.

"Not ready for what?" I said, a hint of annoyance in my tone.

"We need to get everyone in the common rooms now." Harry said, a commanding tone to his voice.

"Why?" I said, exasperated.

"Won't Dumbledore take care of that?" Granger said, ignoring me.  Not that that was a bad thing.

"Yes but we need to do a sweep, check everyone is inside.  If anyone tries any heroics-"

"Like you usually do Potter?  What the hell is going on?"

He sighed and turned to me, "Your beloved Master has decided he wants to attack Hogwarts.  It's happening tonight."

"He's attacking…here?" I whispered.

"Yes," said Grangers hard tone, "Attacking a defenceless and innocent school."

"Why?" I asked.

They both looked uncomfortable then, staring at the ground, each other, unsure.

"He's come for me hasn't he?" I said slowly, understanding dawning.

Harry nodded.

"Well if you let me go now, I can stop him attacking.  I can stop him killing innocent students." I cried.

Harry dared a look at Granger; her face was curled into a snarl.

"Thought you try and turn the misfortune of others to your own advantage did you?  Thought we'd let you out so you can go running back to him and then turn on us.  You must think we're stupid."

I jumped to my feet, shooting arrows from my eyes at her.

"Do you really think I want him to tear this school apart just to find me?  Do you really think I want all those students to die?  I mightn't care one bloody inch about the lot of them but I don't want them dead, who am I going to insult and treat like dogs if they aren't around?  And Slytherins, they will die to tonight.  Draco might die.  Do you really think I want that?  If you let me go you will save everyone's lives.  He won't attack.  If its me he wants then once he's got me he'll be gone.  He only wants what he comes for."

"Are you trying to tell me that once he's got you he'll leave us alone?" Granger said in disbelief.  I nodded.

"As if I'm going to believe that.  You'll probably storm in on his right hand side, shooting curses at us all, giving him our secrets.  We are not going to free you Parkinson, ever."

I dived toward her, the stupid, stuck-up bitch.  But she floated out of my reach.  I stood at her feet, jumping and snatching at her like a madwomen.  She just laughed and floated further out of my reach.

"Harry!" she shouted impatiently down to him.

I turned to look at him and his eyes gave me all the apology I needed.

"I can stop this you know," I whispered, "All of it."

"I know," he whispered back, "But Hermione."

I threw myself against the wall as he left, pounding it with my fists.  Finally I slid down it, crumpling into a heap at the bottom, tears clouding my sight.

It was the worst night of my life.  Well second to when I lost my arm.  I could hear the bangs, the shouts and screams.  I could hear the Gryffindor idiots whimpering above, apparently a group of Hufflepuffs had been caught outside and no one had heard anything of them since.

I had heard no mention of Harry, and no mention of Draco.  Not that they would have been able to distinguish Draco from the masses of black-clad Death Eaters.  They talked in hushed whispers when ever they mentioned My Lord, not daring to utter his name, as it should be.

I wanted to be out there, I wanted to fight.  Not against those students who had been trapped into fighting but against those Ministry wizards who just didn't understand.  They wouldn't let their narrow-minds believe what was befalling the wizarding world.  And they called us narrow-minded!  They wouldn't let the truth spoil their perfectly fair world, where everyone could be happy and true.

The perfectly fair world they were destroying by allowing wizards to marry and bred with Muggles.

The only reason My Lord wanted all the Muggles dead was so there would be no chance of them polluting our blood, dirtying it, weakening it.

"Is that Harry?" one of them suddenly exclaimed.  My ears pricked up.

"Oh God that isn't…?"

"Who's that Death Eater standing over her?"

"My God no…"

"What?" I demanded, knowing full well I would receive no answer.

"What's he…?"

"He's duelling him!"

"Go on Harry!"

"Ow,"

"No the other way."

"Oh God."

"He's hit the floor."

"Harry get up."

"Get up!"

I was on my knees by now, nails digging into the flesh of my thigh.

"Yes!"

"Good shot Harry!"

"And again, and again."

Suddenly they fell silent.  There was a crash and a whimper.

"Oh God no.  Oh God no," one of them moaned weakly.

"It's…" trailed off another.

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," someone said in a deadly whisper.

"Harry…no…" another whispered.

My thigh began to bleed, my nails leaving deep ruts in the soft skin.

"Is he?"

"No he's moving.  He's on his knees, he's…bloody hell Harry never knew you had that in you."

"What, what the hell is happening?" I screamed at the ceiling.  It was no good, it never was.  I could scream blue bloody murder at that ceiling, colour it with my words and I wouldn't get an answer.

"Christ," someone exclaimed.  I couldn't take it.

"What the fuck is going on up there?" I screamed, "I want to know you stupid bastards.  I need to know; I can't bloody take this anymore.  I need to know what the fuck is happening.  Where's Draco?  And what's happening to Harry?" I screamed shrilly.  I finished up with a blood-curdling noise, somewhere between a howl and a scream, before throwing myself into a shivering heap in the middle of the floor, banging my fist against it.

"Have you ever heard anything like that?" one of them commented.  I didn't care.

Rough hands waked me, pulling at my body.  I was dragged onto my back, and I vaguely registered a sharp stone sticking into the curve of my spine.

"Who's that?" I asked hoarsely.

"Me," Harry said shortly.

"What's wrong?  What happened?" I said, sitting up sharply.  I let out a surprised shriek as he roughly threw me back to the ground.  I hit the floor hard, the previous stone cutting into my flesh.

"What the-?"

But he threw himself on to of me, pressing me into the floor.  The stone cut deeper, drawing blood.

"Harry what the hell-"

"Shut the fuck up Pansy"

I gasped and began to struggle wildly.  I had no idea what had happened to make him like this but it was not a position I wanted to be in with Potter.

"If you don't stop it I'll-" but his harsh words were cut short as I freed my hand and slapped him across the face.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I screamed at him.  He reeled away for a moment, a look of the Harry I knew crossing his features, before he suddenly advanced upon me again.

"Whatever I want to," was his reply.

I began to scream but each came out a horse squeak.  I struggled, kicking and biting, trying to slap him again.  He grabbed my wrist and slammed it into the floor above my head, holding it with a force I'd never thought the frail boy would have had.  All the while that stone cut deeper and deeper, a sticky pool of blood forming underneath me.

"Harry stop it," I pleaded, "What are you-"

But his lips silenced me, crashing down on my own with such a force it hurt.  His kisses were rough, desperate.  I struggled away from them.

"Stop it," I gasped, "Harry stop it."

His free hand found its way to the buttons on my shirt, ripping them open to reveal the tender flesh.  His hands raked across my skin, rough, harsh caresses I'd have never thought possible from him.

I moaned and whimpered in fear.  Yes fear.  I wasn't trained to fight off this, to fight off rape.

"Harry…" I whimpered.  His hand travelled down my stomach, travelled down into my pants…

I found the voice for another scream as his hands touched those intimate places I had reserved for Draco.

"Stop it!" I screamed, kicking at him, "Stop it now."

His mouth crashed onto mine again, rough, his tongue forcing its way into my mouth.  I tried to wind my wrist out of his grip, twisting it violently but he slammed it into the floor again, all the while still pushing his other hand further…

I began to cry, hot tears crashing down onto my cheeks, crashing onto my chest.

"Stop it…Stop it" I whispered.

His lips travelled down my neck, biting at my tender skin.  I began to tremble at his touch, my whole body shaking.  His arm suddenly smacked me in the face; it was inches away from my mouth.  I took my chance and sunk my teeth deep into it.  He roared in pain, sitting up and letting go of my wrist.  Quickly I kicked at him while he was cradling his arm and pulled myself away.  He followed me on his knees, crawling along the floor.  I screamed, watching those burning emerald eyes as they crawled closer to me.  My back hit the wall and I froze, my wide, terror filled eyes watching his fury filled ones.  Reaching out he grabbed a clump of my hair and threw my head against the wall.

Moaning and whimpering I slid to the ground.  My vision was blaring and my body shook.  Pitiful is what I was.  A shaking, moaning wreck, covered in sticky, hot blood mixed with tears.  I looked up through the blurriness, looking for him, awaiting his next invasion.

He was stepping away, horror written on his features.  I tried to lift my head to stare at him but it was heavy and lolled uselessly on my shoulders.  Blackness was descending.  My eyelids flickered and my eyes rolled, whiteness blaring.  But I could have sworn I saw tears falling from those emeralds as the darkness claimed me.


	7. Finale

Disclaimer – Everything you recognise, belongs not to me, but the talented JK.  Anything else is more than likely mine.

_Authors Note – Another Pansy Draco story, our favourite couple.  This is going to get quite dark and our three favourite main characters are going to be shown in quite a different light._

_Crudelis Ferreus_

Chapter Seven – Finale 

My head was throbbing when I awoke, thoughts and nightmares swimming around its blackened depths.  Moaning I pushed myself upwards, arm reaching groggily for handholds.  I moaned-pain filling my limbs.  Every muscle was tight, every limb heavy.  My hand was torn, dried blood caking the pale skin.  I put it up to my head, my hair matted with the dried blood, wincing as I touched the deep gash.

Suddenly a hand swam into my vision.  I looked up at the owner and threw myself backwards, undiluted fear filling me.  Harry sat there, offering me a glass of water.

"I'll heal you if you want," he said gruffly.

I took the water, its cool liquid soothing my raw throat but never took my eyes off Harry for a second.

"What happened?" I finally said.  He looked at me and our eyes connected, reaching the unspoken agreement that last night would never be spoken of again.

"Your Master fell," he said flatly, "As did Hermione."

"Sorry." I said shortly.

"Draco killed her," he said in a flat tone.

So that's why he had come back and tried to…tried to… Hermione had been murdered and Harry had wanted revenge, wanted to hurt Draco.  I had been the closest thing to him Harry had.

"How do you know it was him?"

"Hair, voice"

"Is he still alive?"

"Yes.  Voldemort came just after he killed her, we duelled, and Dumbledore and I killed him."

"Oh.  And?"

"Lucius Malfoy fell, as did Bill Weasley.  Dumbledore is dying and Hagrid was killed.  Blaise Zabini died, and your Father fell."

"Is he dead?" I said rather quickly.

"Yes.  Sorry," he said bluntly.

The conversation was tight, forced.  Both our voices were blunt, our answers short.  We were holding back the awful memories.

"What's going to happen now?" I asked.

"With what?"

"The Wizarding World?  The school? Me?"

"The Wizarding World, I don't know.  The school, McGonagall has been announced head.  And you.  You can go."

"I can go?" I said, betraying the first bit of emotion in our conversation.

"Yes.  Just let me clean you up first."

He stepped closer and I shrank away.  He winced but carried on toward me.  Pulling out his wand he healed the gash on my head.  I wanted to close my eyes against the stinging pain but I couldn't, I was too afraid of Harry.

He healed my hand next.

"Anywhere else hurt?" he asked uncomfortably.

"No." I said, although that was I lie.  My back was torn where the stone had pierced it and by the stinging over my chest and stomach it was scratched to hell.  In-between my legs hurt too, from the forceful way of his hand last night.  But I wasn't telling him that.

"Good." He reached out a steady hand and grabbed at the crystal in my forehead.  A burning sensation and it was gone; it came away in his hand.

"Your free," he said.

"Finally," I muttered sarcastically.  I stiffly stood up, using the wall as support.  I stumbled, and with quick reflexes born of Quidditch he reached out to steady me.  I yanked myself away from his grip though.  He jumped away, face full of shame.

I hobbled forward, whispering the floating charm.  Surprisingly it worked without my wand.  Harry floated up just below me, his eye level low, never once looking up.  A jolt ran through my body as my feet were banged onto the floor and I fell forward a few paces.  Harry didn't try to catch me this time.  I fell forward onto a plush four-poster.  Rolling over I squealed as I saw the towering form of Harry standing over me.  He pulled away quickly, diving into the shadows of the wall.

"Your wands there," he mumbled, pointing to a cabinet next to the bed.  I snatched it up, grateful to feel the smooth wood under my fingers.

"Tell me why I shouldn't curse you," I snarled, holding it up level with his chest.

"I was hoping you would," was his reply.

"Why?" was all I needed to ask.

"I needed to hurt someone."

I got up, stumbled toward the door.  I threw it open, letting it slam on the cold stone.

"If it means anything, I'm sorry," he said as I stepped over the threshold onto the staircase.

"It doesn't" I spat.  I walked out, slamming the door behind me.  Those were the last words I ever spoke to Potter.  The person I thought I could be friends with, the person I had liked even though he had kept me prisoner through the most important months of my life.  The person I loved.  Loved as a brother, a close friend.  I hated him now, despised him.

And I would never see him again.

I stumbled through the corridors.  I had pilfered a cloak from the Gryffindor common room, which covered my missing arm and my features.  I didn't want to draw attention to myself until I knew what was happening.

Students raced past me, some shouting and laughing in happiness, others crying for the loss of loved ones.  I half-fell down the steps to the dungeons, knocked over by a hysterical Slytherin first year.

"What the hell's wrong," I roared at her.  She let out a squeak and fell silent.

"My, my Mum died and my Dad's been sent to Azkaban."

"I'm sorry," I said stiffly, "What's happening in the Slytherin common room?"

"Owls are coming every five minutes to give news of students parents.  Fourteen have already been condemned to Azkaban and twenty-five are dead.  Both of Malfoy's parents are dead.  Our Lord is dead and Pansy Parkinson is feared dead also."

"I am Pansy Parkinson." I revealed, pulling off the hood.  The girl nearly dropped into a dead faint right in front of me.

"Oh God, Oh God," she moaned, "Miss Parkinson.  Malfoy has been in a terrible state what with thinking you dead.  You must go to him at once.  The house has been in mourning for you since you were taken.  We have never stopped our-"

"Ok I get the picture," I cut in.  "You can carry on your business now.  What's your name?"

"Jenny Frostina."

"I shall remember you." I told her.  She beamed and then scampered off.

I carried on down the dark passageway, lit only by dull lamps.  On reaching the jutting out stone in the secret wall that led to our common room I realised that after Potter and Granger's little visit my housemates would not have bee stupid enough to keep the same password.

And I had no idea of the new one.

I stood uncertain, not sure what to do.  Resigning myself to having to wait until either someone from inside opened to door to go out, or someone came along wanting to go in, I began to cross to the opposite side of the passageway, to lean against the stone and sit down.  I didn't have long to wait though.

There was a grinding and crunching sound and the door began to slide open.  I whipped round to face it and was met with chaos.  Slytherins ran everywhere, some crying, and some hurriedly packing cases, some just huddled quietly in corners.

I stepped forward, ignoring the seventh year boy who was gaping at me, his mouth open wide.  I scanned the room, searching for the one face I wanted to see in this crowd.

And there he was.  Platinum hair on top of pale skin shone across the room.  He was facing me and looked up slowly as the room began to fall silent.  No one dared breath as Draco and I stared across the room into each other's eyes.  I stepped forward from the doorway, someone gasped.  Draco stood, his mouth dropping open slightly in shock.

"Pansy?" he whispered.  The deadly silence carried it across the room.  Someone couldn't take it anymore and squealed.  But our eyes stayed locked.  We crossed quickly to each other, eyes not leaving each other's, dodging round furniture by feel and knowledge of the layout only.

We stopped inches away from each other, gazing into each other's eyes.  And then he swept me up into his arms, holding me tight, crushing me to him.  My arm entwined its way around his neck and his encircled my waist, one rubbing in soothing circles on my back.  He buried his face in my hair as I buried mine in his strong chest.

"God Pansy I've missed you so much."

"Draco…"

My voice broke.  I began to sob, my body shaking with each one.  They echoed off the stonewalls, reverberating around the silent room.

In one swift movement Draco grabbed my legs and swung them up so he was carrying me.  I buried my head again in his chest as we began to move through the staring crowds.  I didn't look at them, but sobbed into his chest, relaxing into those strong arms around me, holding me close, and protecting me.

He kicked open the door to his dormitory and gently deposited me onto his soft bed.  I huddled into it; it had been so long since I had been comfortable.

He crawled on next to me, pulling me to him, wrapping his arms around me.  He kissed the top of my head gently, breathing in the scent of my hair, running his hands gently over me as if to check I was real.

"Are you hurt?" he asked suddenly.  "Did they hurt you?"

"Most of them have been healed but…" I tailed off.  That's when the understanding dawned.

"When I saw you.  They didn't fix your arm did they?"

I shook my head.  He jumped up, a muscle in his cheek twitching in anger.

Grabbing my hand he hoisted me to my feet, "Mungo's now." He ordered.

"But Draco," I protested.

"I want you checked over before anything else happens," he insisted.

Crossing to the fireplace he lit a roaring fire with one word and pulling out a pouch shouted the words

"Mungo's"

He pulled me into the fire with him, holding me close as the grates rushed past.

"Well my dearie you have been in the walls, haven't you?" the bustling little nurse chirped.

"Just a bit," I replied.  She leant over and pulled away some of the ripped blouse.  Noticing the scratches over my body she raised an eyebrow in Draco's direction.

"Don't you think you better wait outside?" she asked, her voice slightly harder.

"No I want him here." I assured her.

She raised both eyebrows but carried on pulling off the blouse.  Draco gasped when he saw my battered body, the tear along my spine, the scratches that covered me.  And the stump that had once been my arm.

"Dearie me," she exclaimed, "What happened?"

"She was fighting in the war of Hogwarts." Draco answered.

"You poor lamb," the nurse cooed, "We'll get you fixed up alright."

She bustled around, healing various scars, healing up my back.  I bit my lip throughout and on my cheeks rose a blush as Draco stared at my naked body, my bruised flesh.

"What's this?" she said as she came to my neck.  I nearly screamed out loud and quickly covered it lest Draco should see.  Potter must have left bite marks.

"Out, out now," she nurse commanded, pushing him out of the cubicle and violently closing the gaudy curtains behind him.

"Dearie what happened?" she asked quietly, "Did he, did he rape you?"

"No, not Draco," I whispered, "Someone else they-"

"You'll need a pregnancy potion then, and-"

"No he, he didn't actually go all the way.  He-he stopped."

She raised both eyebrows and gave me a stern look.

"Honestly.  I promise you.  I wouldn't want a baby at this age."

"Well I want to take a look anyway, check he hasn't hurt you in anyway."

There were scratches down there and a bruise on my thigh.  They stung more when she healed them.  She then moved to healing the bite marks on my neck.

"Now dearie you mustn't keep quiet about this.  You must tell someone.  You can't let whomever it was treat you like this or anyone else for that matter.  Now was it the young man with you?"

"No he wouldn't.  He would never hurt me."

"Ok then lamb.  But you're going to have to stay in overnight while we heal this arm.  It'll take a few hours."

She gave me six cups of different smelling and foul tasting potions and then left me alone to fall asleep, Draco by my side.  He held my hand, running his thumb around my own in calming circles that sent shivers up my arm.  He muttered soothing words to me as I fell into the deepest sleep I had had in months.

I awoke to a blazing pain in my arm.

"Ow." I muttered indistinctly.

Draco's head shot up from were it was resting on the bed immediately.

"What?  What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Nothing my arm just aches.  Wait my arm?"

There it was.  I lifted it up, flexing my fingers, twisting it around.  Good as new.  I smiled.

"How are you my dearie?  Got a full range of movement I hope?"

I nodded. 

"Thanks." I said.

"Don't mention it dearie.  Now-"

"Obliviate," Draco roared.  The nurse's eyes unfocused and she swayed on her feet.

"You never saw us and you have had no patients since yesterday," Draco said,

The women repeated his words.  He tossed me a spare robe and I gratefully pulled it on.

"Come on," he said, grabbing my hand.  As we left the room I looked back at the nurse, folding the bedcovers and completely oblivious to Draco and I.

The only person to know of Potter and I knew no more.

Draco made me stay in bed all day, bringing me my meals himself and staying with me all the time.  It was comfortable, just lying there with his arms around me, our bodies fitting perfectly together.

"I've missed you so much you know," he said, his breath rustling my hair.  It felt so good to have had a bath, to have washed away all the grime and dirt of the past months.  To have silky, smooth locks again.

"I've missed you too," I said, entwining my fingers with his.  He raised our entwined hands to his lips and softly kissed my hand.

"You are still my fiancée, aren't you?" he asked, worry in his eyes.

"Of course I am Draco.  I never, ever want to be apart from you."

He pulled me toward him, planting a delicate kiss on my lips.  I grabbed the back of his head, making good use of my new arm, pulling him into a deeper kiss.  He rolled on top of me and I whimpered.

"What?  Did I hurt you?" he asked, pulling away.

"No," I replied, pulling him back down to me.  I could cope, Harry hadn't really touched me and I wanted this.  I wanted Draco to become part of me, to wash Harry away.

Our bodies knit together, firelight flickering over them as we finally became one.

A Year Later 

Draco leaned down, smiling at me.  I smiled back up and he caught my lips in our first kiss as man and wife.  Pulling away I smiled giddily and then burst into giggles as I was swept off my feet and carried down the aisle.

People threw confetti over us as we went, beautiful, glittering white wizard confetti that stuck in your hair like glittering diamonds.  No that I didn't have enough of them in it anyway.

"You are the most beautiful thing alive," Draco whispered in my ear.  His breath on my neck sent shivers through me.

"Draco I love you,"

"I love you to, Pansy"

**Three Years Later.**

I stood alone at the dull grey lump of rock that symbolised the life of one of the most important wizards in our history.  There was nothing but some crumbling letters to commemorate his bravery, his kindness, his understanding.

Not that I should be here, he did try to rape me.  But I forgave him you know, only when he took his own life anyway.  The most famous wizard alive and he was alone.  Alone in a world of torment and shame, were he blamed and tortured himself over the lives he hadn't saved, the people he had hurt.

Me.

He never forgave himself for that night.

Ron and Hermione.

He couldn't go on without his two closest friends, the two people he cared most about in the world.  He was nothing without them in his mind and he couldn't exist without them.

Ginny

He wanted to be with her again, wanted to hold her again in this heaven he believed in.  He was scared deep down though, scared she would reject him for letting her die.  He blamed himself for that also.

And Hagrid, Dumbledore and the rest of the Weasley losses.

He hadn't got there in time, hadn't reacted quick enough.

When in reality he was the bravest of them all.

I knelt down, laying the modest bunch of flowers on the grave.  I hadn't attended the funeral; I didn't want to be noticed.  Digging in my pocket I pulled out a bright purple crystal, and pushed it down into the earth

"It wasn't that bad you know," I whispered to it.

I could have sworn the wind whispered back, "I know"

Authors Note – I'd like to thank Kyra for all her reviews and encouragement and I'd also like to thank xBebExSwEeTzZx and Leuca for their reviews also.

I'm currently working on a Narnia story and also an X-Men story, both to be posted soon.  The Narnian story is titled "In The Hands of the Saviour" and the X-Men story is "Melisende"

And on the Hogwarts front, there is still So Cold: The Hogwarts Years, to come.  I will be starting that over the summer.  I am also thinking of writing up parts of this story from other peoples povs but I'm not sure yet.

Ebony to Knighthood will also be completed over the summer.

Thanks!!!


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